Finding Love
by MzThiNg
Summary: When Brady and Chloe make a bet to find true love, it takes an unexpected turn... *finished*
1. Ch 1 to 3

Finding Love  
  
This fic is based on a book titled "More than a Friend" by Elizabeth Winfrey.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything!!!  
  
Chloe Lane is on a mission to find true love. She's tired of hearing her best friend, Brady brag about how easy it is to get a girl. Chloe says she can find someone special- someone she could love-before Brady ever could. Sure, Brady's dated lots of girls, but Chloe's not worried. Brady doesn't know the first thing about love. Winning will be easy.  
  
But after weeks of dating misery, both are ready to admit defeat. Until Brady suggests that love may be a lot closer than they thought.  
  
Ch.1  
  
A/N: Brady and Chloe are both seniors in high school. Every chapter will be in either Brady or Chloe's point of view. This is mainly a filler chapter.  
  
"You know what your problem is, Chloe Lane?"  
  
"Yeah. The fact that you're always asking me if I know what my problem is," I responded to my best friend and harshest critic, Brady Black.  
  
"Wrong again"  
  
Brady shook his head and rolled over in the grass. We were having a picnic at the park and I could tell he was getting bored.  
  
I sighed as dramatically as I could.  
  
"Okay, Mr. Black. Please enlighten me"  
  
Brady sat up and looked at me. " Simply put, you're strictly a diet iced tea kind of a girl. Even worse it's always lemon flavored, never peach or raspberry." He grinned and lay back down. By the way he was acting you would have thought he solved world hunger or something not babbled some nonsense about iced tea.  
  
If I had half a brain, I would have put my headphones on and ignored him. But Brady had this way of always sucking me into his ridiculous theories.  
  
" Is there more?" I asked " Or should I just stop drinking iced tea and assume that my senior year is going to bring me fame, fortune, beauty and true love?"  
  
"Aha! So the little lady wants to know more!" Brady said in a dramatic voice "You see, Chloe, when we went to the store, you have numerous beverage choices, even within the iced tea section, there were at least twelve different flavors"  
  
"So?" I prompted  
  
"So why didn't you chose Mango Passion? Or Lover's Fruit Punch?"  
  
"I don't think Lover's Fruit Punch is a flavor," I said  
  
"That's not the point. The point is you don't say, 'Hey! Mango Passion seems interesting, I'll try that' Instead you plod drearily along, a diet lemon iced tea as your only companion."  
  
" Iced tea isn't my only companion. You are"  
  
Brady grabbed my half empty iced tea bottle from me and took a huge gulp. "Chloe, I'm talking in metaphors here. Work with me"  
  
"I'm working, I'm working," I said with a sigh  
  
"In any situation you always take the safe route. You're afraid to try new things. Face it. You need to branch out"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why? Why? Because if you did, incredible things could happen"  
  
"Like.?" I told you before, Brady always had this way of sucking me into his theories.  
  
" Like you could, I don't know be some famous inventor, or be a doctor and cure disease never thought curable.even become the greatest opera diva alive. Even more exciting you could fall in love. Or even find a boyfriend. Or at least go on a date."  
  
I groaned. My love life, or lake thereof, was Brady's favorite subject. At the most unexpected moments, he would bring it up. For example, when we were doing math homework, he would say, " Look Chloe, This equation is just like your love life, lots of uninteresting factors that equal zero."  
  
I mean Brady isn't as bad as I'm making him out to be. It's just that he doesn't understand how we normal people get through the day. By "normal" I mean those of us who weren't taller than six feet, had blond hair, blue eyes, and incredible bodies. In case you don't know, that's the exact physical description of Brady Black. He also has tons of charm, endless one-liners, and an annoying way of making everyone instantly like him.  
  
But what he was saying about fear made some sense. I am afraid- of doing lots of things. Most of all, I live in terror of rejection. I mean, I've seen girls crying in the bathroom because some jock decided to dump them. Then I see those girls reapply their makeup and head back into the hall and make themselves available to even more torture. I mean is it really worth it all? Is it worth feeling pain every time you see him with another girl? In my opinion, no way.  
  
As Brady was saying, I'm pretty much paralyzed with fear. Then again, who isn't?  
  
" Fear, huh?" I narrowed my eyes and looked at Brady.  
  
He nodded. " Look at you. You're almost eighteen and you've never been in love. Do you really want to spend your senior year alone?"  
  
It was time to turn the tables." What about you? You have this endless string of girlfriends. Are you telling me when you are making out with one of these girls you don't feel alone?"  
  
" At least I try."  
  
" I try," I insisted. " I just don't succeed"`  
  
Brady laughed. " You are so full of it. The perfect guy could come along, white horse and all, and you would let him pass by"  
  
"That is so untrue" I said  
  
As this conversation went further, I got a feeling that Brady was going somewhere with this. I just wished he would get to it already and let me eat my BLT in piece.  
  
" Prove it," he said  
  
" Prove what?" I looked at the ground and wished I could rewind the whole conversation.  
  
" Show me you really want to fall in love."  
  
"How?"  
  
"How do you think? By falling in love, of course"  
  
"Brady, this is not like getting an A in history. I can't just go out and fall in love."  
  
"How do you know of you've never tried?" This was getting ridiculous and I could feel my face turning red. He loved to see me flustered.  
  
"Forget it," I said firmly. I took a bite out of my BLT and put my headphones on. If I didn't pay attention to him, he'd get bored and give up.  
  
Brady reached over and pulled off my headphones. " I mean it Chlo. I dare you to fall in love."  
  
"Earlier, turning the tables on him backfired. But what choice did I have? " Fine. I dare you to fall in love. And I'm not talking about some two- week romance with the girl who works at the movies."  
  
I was getting warmed out now, thinking of all the conditions of Brady's falling in love. " And I'm not talking about a few dates with Jan Spears, the cheerleader with the big chest. I'm talking about commitment"  
  
He shrugged. "Okay. You got it."  
  
"What?" I didn't think he'd actually do it.  
  
" I dared you. You dared me. Whoever succeeds, wins." His expression was unreadable, and I was hoping he was joking.  
  
" You honestly want us to dare each other to fall in love?"  
  
"Why not?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
  
But, I was getting interested with this concept. Maybe Brady was right. Maybe it was time to show the guys what I was made of. If I made a fool of myself, the worst that could happen was that I'd have to suffer the rest of senior year and never see those people again.  
  
But if I was going along with this crazy thing, then I wanted the stakes to be big. I wasn't about to get my heart crushed just because Brady said I should.  
  
I nodded slowly. "You're right."  
  
"I am?" For the first time, he sounded uncertain.  
  
"Absolutely. But let's make this a bet."  
  
Brady's eyes lit up. He loved bets. " Now you're talking Chloe. And let's make this big"  
  
I sat up straighter. " Any ideas?" "Loser has to make the winners lunch for a month?" I shook my head. The stakes had to be big. If wining didn't seem important that we would probably just both drop the whole thing.  
  
" Umm. Loser has to wear a kick me sign for a week?"  
  
" Nah. That loses points on originality."  
  
"Fifty bucks?"  
  
"Come on, Black. You can do better than that."  
  
Brady rolled over in the grass. And closed his eyes. " Let me think for a minute," He said " I'll come up with something that'll make that hairs on your back standup."  
  
I lay down on my stomach and focused on coming up with a bet.  
  
Brady suddenly sat up and clapped his hands. " I've got it. If you're up for the challenge, that is."  
  
I propped myself up on my elbows. " Try me."  
  
"Okay. If you lose, you have to cut your hair short and bleach it blonde." He looked at, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
"What!?" I yelled.  
  
I think he's insane. He knew perfectly well, that my hair was very important to me; it was probably my best feature- thick, dark, and long. Almost every time I go into the bathroom at school, some girl would look at my hair with envy and say to me," I wish I had your hair" or "Your hair is so beautiful"  
  
I guess he saw the stricken look on my face." What's wrong Chloe? Are you that sure your gonna lose?"  
  
I hate pride. It makes you say and do stuff that someone without pride would realize it was lunacy. In this case, pride made me agree to Brady's terms.  
  
" All right, Mr. Black. What happens if I win?"  
  
" Simple, I get my ear pierced. '  
  
" No way! You already want your ear pierced!"  
  
" Fine, you think of something."  
  
" If I win, then you. Brady Black have to get the word Loser shaved in the back of your head, and I'll even shave it myself." I grinned triumphantly at him.  
  
He whistled. I could tell he hated the prospect of letting the world know he was a loser. But he couldn't back out, it's not is style. "Let's shake on it," He said. We shook hands, and then I realized we didn't come up with a time frame.  
  
Brady must have read my mind. " We'll settle this the night of the winter ball, " He said. "Whoever shows up with is or her true love wins." A new thought occurred to me. " Hey, what if we both fall in love?" I asked  
  
He looked up into my eyes." Then we both win."  
  
As Brady and I packed up our stuff, I began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I needed a miracle.  
  
Ch. 2  
  
I woke up this morning with one thought on my mind- the stupid bet I made with Chloe. I never would have made the whole thing up if I thought she would actually go along with it. Unfortunately, whenever I think I know Chloe's next move, she decides to surprise me. So now I had to fall in love.  
  
You would think that falling in love would be easier for me than Chloe. I've never had problems getting dates. I'm confident, and I'm anything but shy. Chloe, on the other hand, likes keeping to herself. She is one of the best looking girls in school (if not the best), but if anyone told her that to her face, she would think they were crazy. She would go off on some tangent about patronizing, condescending males who thought they could make a woman feel good by telling her something that was untrue. What can I say? My best friend has a complex.  
  
But now that she's decided to fall in love, you can be sure she would. She's the kind of person who doesn't rest until she achieves her goal.  
  
Chloe would probably look across the room in one of her classes and lock eyes with some loser and fall madly in love. Meanwhile, I'd be stuck making out with a girl who couldn't care less about me. To top it off, I'd have the word Loser shaved in my hair.  
  
As I walked down the halls of Salem High, I searched for Chloe. Who knew? Maybe she woke up this morning regretting the whole bet too. If so, I'd let her off easy. Unfortunately, she was nowhere in sight.  
  
Shawn, my best friend next to Chloe, came bounding next to me.  
  
"Don't look now, but Jenny Clark at three o'clock" Shawn said nudging me.  
  
I groaned. Jenny had been my girlfriend for about a month the previous spring. I kinda liked her t first, but then by the end she was driving me crazy. Everything she said came out as if it were a question- except for actual question, which sounded like statements.  
  
I thought about ducking into a locker, but she's already seen me.  
  
"Hi, Brady?" Jenny said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hey, Jenny. How was your summer?" If nothing else, I'm polite. And maybe I was wrong about Jenny. Maybe she was my true love, and I'd just been too caught up in punctuation to see it before.  
  
" It was great? I worked as a lifeguard? How about you."  
  
At that moment I knew there was NO future for us. Call me crazy but I like conversations that aren't annoying for me to listen to. I could feel Shawn shaking with laughter next to me.  
  
"It was good. Good." I managed to say. "Well, I have to go now"  
  
" I understand?" Debbie said, turning to go " Do you want to go out sometime."  
  
"Yeah, maybe?" Shawn answered for me. It wasn't nice but I couldn't help but snort out a little laughter.  
  
Jenny gave us a strange look, and then headed down the hall.  
  
Sliding into the back of my homeroom, I shook my head. I'd dated some great girls, but I also dated some girls who shouldn't be out roaming the streets alone.  
  
"Man, there are no decent women at this school," I complained to Shawn.  
  
Shawn shrugged.  
  
"Brady, I've just written down the names of twenty beautiful women in the senior class, all of whom I'd like to go on dates with this year. How can you tell me we haven't got fertile soil here?"  
  
I shook my head again. " I'm talking about someone special, Shawn. Someone I could fall in love with."  
  
"Love? Give me a break." Shawn said while rolling his eyes.  
  
I glanced over at his notebook, scanning his list. As my eyes went down the page, I mentally crossed off the girls I'd already dated. When I got to number eleven, my eyes widened.  
  
"Chloe?" I sort of gasped  
  
"Sure," Shawn said. " She fits all my criteria." He drew a big star next to Chloe's name.  
  
I just stared at the piece of paper. It wasn't that I didn't think Shawn should find Chloe attractive, intelligent, blah, blah, blah. But the idea of putting her name on some list really got to me. It was as if Shawn didn't know that Chloe was unique, special. She didn't fit into some hormonal wish list.  
  
"You're sick," I finally said. "Do you know how mad she'll be, if she finds out about this?" I said picking up the paper.  
  
He shrugged. " I doubt she'll care how I choose to spend my time waiting for homeroom to start." He raised his eyebrows at me. " You're the one that has a problem with this, Black."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Shawn snapped his fingers. "You're jealous."  
  
"You're insane," I answered. For years people have been teasing me about being secretly in love with Chloe.  
  
At that moment the second bell rang. As the teacher was starting to take roll, the door opened and I looked to see who it was. She stood a few feet inside the doorway. Her long blond hair was tied back showing her amazing cheekbones and wide round eyes. I took a deep breath, absorbing her in. Suddenly, Shawn's list was the last thing on my mind.  
  
"Name?" The teacher barked.  
  
"Veronica Johnson" She replied while looking around the room.  
  
"Alright Ms. Johnson, Take a seat." She smiled graciously and slid into the closest seat to the front.  
  
Shawn passed me a note:" Hot Babe, Front and center!" I shoved the note in my pocket. I wasn't about to make her just another name on his list. I could tell she was something special. And I was going to make her mine. Soon.  
  
When the bell rang, I stayed in my seat. I was still deciding how I would approach her. However, I heard our teacher ask her to stay after to tell her about the stuff she missed since she was new.  
  
I headed out the door, but not without a final glance in Veronica's direction. She gave me a little wave. Right then, I knew I was going to win the bet.  
  
Chloe was waiting for me in the hall. "About our bet." she started to say.  
  
I held my hand up, cutting her off. "Don't try and back out now" I said smugly " I just found the girl of my dreams. So you should start getting the scissors and bleach out now"  
  
She made a face "Ha! I was just gonna say that I planned to draw up a written agreement. So you don't weasel out of this."  
  
"May the best romance win," I said.  
  
As we walked down the hall, I was counting the minutes until my next homeroom.  
  
  
  
Ch. 3  
  
Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you people that I don't own anything?  
  
As I watched Brady in our physics class, I could tell he was thinking about our bet. His expression kept changing, and the arrogant way he threw back his shoulders gave me a queasy feeling.  
  
It was so unfair. Brady always had an endless stream of good luck, and I had nothing.  
  
When the bell finally rang, Brady handed me a piece of paper he'd been doodling on in class. He drew a picture of himself in a big heart with me outside of it trying to poke an arrow through it. Over my head was a bubble that said,"Bleached blondes have more fun"  
  
"Ha ha" I said sarcastically " Is this all your gonna think about for the next four months?"  
  
He grinned. "Of course not. Pretty soon, I'll be so in love that I won't have time to gloat over my victory" He patted my shoulder and walked away.  
  
I trudged over to my locker. "Bad day?" I heard a voice say behind me.  
  
"Meems!" I yelled, " I tried calling you six times yesterday"  
  
"Sorry. My mom insisted that the whole family go out to do 'family activities' yesterday"  
  
I laughed and gave Mimi a hug. Next to Brady she was my best friend in the world.  
  
We headed towards our creative writing class. Meems and I both love to write and have been waiting to take this class since we were freshmen.  
  
As we were taking our seats, I saw Michael Hensen saunter into the classroom and head over to where we were seated.  
  
I've had a small crush on Michael since I saw him perform in the talent show freshmen year. With thick brown hair, hazel eyes, a dimple in his cheek, and an amazing body, how could I not have a crush on him? He was the lead singer of a band, Radio Waves, and every girl in this school had a crush on him at least once in their life. In the last three years, we've had some classes together, but we never really talked. For one thing, he'd been going out with Kimberley Foster, a beautiful cheerleader in the class ahead of ours. And even if he was single, there was no way he would go out with me.  
  
Mimi leaned close to me. " I heard that Kimberly dumped Michael when she went to college. He's single."  
  
I forced the beating of my heart to slowdown, reminding myself that there was no way a guy like Michael would be interested in me.  
  
As much as I liked writing, I couldn't help but sneak glances over at Michael. The fact that chose a writing class made him seem even more desirable.  
  
At one point during class, Mimi wrote me a note. "How's Brady?" it read. Mimi had a crush on Brady for as long as I could remember, but she never did anything about it. For one thing, she knew his history with girls and knew he wouldn't make a very good boyfriend. She also had this insane theory that Brady and I were destined to be together. As many times as I'd told her that I wouldn't go out with Brady if he were the last guy on earth, she'd just look at me with a little smile on her face like she knew something I didn't.  
  
When class ended, I waved to Meems and headed to my locker. But before I could even take another step, I felt a hand on my upper arm. And I turned around.  
  
"Hey, Chloe. How've you been" His Hazel eyes were warm, and I almost felt as though I was melting.  
  
"Uh, good. I've been good." I could barely utter a coherent sentence.  
  
He took a step closer to me, and I could feel goose bumps on my arms.  
  
" How about doing me a favor?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," I said trying to sound as casual as possible. "How could I help?"  
  
"I don't know a lot about poetry. DO you think you could help me go over some stuff?" He actually looked a little embarrassed and my heart melted.  
  
"No problem," I said" But if you don't know anything about poetry, why are you in the class?"  
  
He made a face." Scheduling conflict."  
  
I nodded. Okay so maybe he isn't some great poet, but his status, as a great-looking guy still hasn't changed.  
  
"I'll meet you at the library after school," I said.  
  
He gave my arm a squeeze, then walked off. I watched every girl give him an once-over, and my thoughts went back to my bet with Brady. Maybe I could win this thing after all.  
  
After school, I found Brady jogging on the school track. He said he liked the school track because he could tally how many miles he'd run. But I really think it's because he likes having all the women's sports teams watch him.  
  
When he saw me he slowed down. I knew I had a big goofy smile on my face. It wasn't often that I had the opportunity to give Brady anything that would qualify as my love life.  
  
"Hey Chlo!" He said while putting his hand on my shoulder, balancing himself so that he could stretch. "What's up?"  
  
"Well, I'm sure this won't come to anything, but Michael Hensen asked me to help him with his creative writing"  
  
For a few seconds Brady was silent. Then he looked at me. "Michael Hensen? Don't tell me you like that loser."  
  
I couldn't believe he just called Michael a loser. "Excuse me?" I said, raising my voice a little. "Michael is gorgeous, talented, sexy.."  
  
Brady laughed. "Get real Chloe. The guy's skull could be used as a storage space. Besides, he's with that airhead Kimberly" I shook my head. "For your information, Kimberly is now in college, far away. Michael is now available."  
  
"Well, luck you." Brady said and started jogging in place.  
  
"That's right. For once, Lucky me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet Michael." I stalked off with my head held high. I'd gotten a head start on our bet, and he couldn't' stand the thought that he might lose.  
  
It was almost midnight and I was still thinking of a poem that Michael could read in class. The sound of the phone broke my thoughts.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"It's me." It was Brady.  
  
"What's up? It's late."  
  
"Yup. And guess what your best friend called to tell you?"  
  
"You've fallen in love already?" It would be just like Brady to think he found his true love in the last couple hours since I'd seen him.  
  
"No. Casablanca is the late, late movie. Channel four."  
  
"I'll call you right back." I hung up, and walked downstairs, turned on the TV and grabbed the phone. I dialed Brady's number and he picked up on the first ring.  
  
"Humphrey Bogart just saw her for the first time. She's listening to Sam play the piano."  
  
" Yea, I know. It's right in front of me." Brady and I watched movies together over the phone, if we couldn't actually get together. Even though we didn't talk much, we liked being able to make comments to the other person when the mood struck. Casablanca was our all-time favorite.  
  
An hour and a half later, I was trying to muffle my sobs, even thought Brady knew I always cried when I realized just how doomed Rick and Ilsa's love was.  
  
"Chloe, are you crying again? You've seen this movie like thirty times."  
  
" I know." I said wiping my eyes. "But it seems sadder every time I see it."  
  
Brady laughed softly. "You're really a romantic at heart, you know that?"  
  
"Ha! I'm just manipulated by sentimental movies," I responded. "Sweet dream, Chloe"  
  
"Sweet dreams, Brady" I hung up the phone, turned off the TV, and crept back to my room. 


	2. Ch 4 to 7

Ch. 4  
  
Chloe and I got out of my jeep and headed toward the football field. It seemed as though almost all the Salem high students came to the first game of the season to support the football team.  
  
We pushed our way passed some underclassmen and headed up the bleaches towards Mimi and Jason Masters.  
  
"Hey guys!" Chloe called. " Have you worked up some spirit?"  
  
Mimi laughed. "Right. I can't wait for the cheering to start. I love watching the cheerleaders shake their pom-poms."  
  
"What a coincidence. So do I," Jason said, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
"Why do we come to things anyway?" Chloe asked.  
  
"Why else? In hope to find our one true love in the bleachers." Mimi answered.  
  
I tuned out the rest of Chloe and Mimi's conversation and scanned the crowd. Even though I really didn't think that Veronica would come to the football game, a small part of me hoped to see her here.  
  
Veronica and I talked almost everyday in homeroom. Smiled at me flirtatiously, flipped her hair in a provocative way, and given me looks that seemed like they were just for me.  
  
When I saw Veronica on the other side of the bleachers, my heart jumped. In jeans and a tight black shirt, I could tell she looked great. Best of all, she was alone.  
  
When I stood up, I felt Chloe pull on the back pocket of my jeans. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Shawn's over there," I said pointing towards the snack bar. "I'm going to talk to him." I didn't feel like having anyone give me a hard time about going to sit with a potential love interest.  
  
Before anyone could protest, I climbed down the bleachers. Just in case Chloe was looking I went to stand in line for the snack bar for a minute, then jogged over to Veronica.  
  
When she saw me coming on her direction, she smiled and slid over on the bench. When I sat down, I could feel our knees touching and I thought I could almost feel a tingle going through my leg.  
  
"I was going to stay home tonight, but I got lonely." I nodded, not believing my luck. She was probably just too shy and sensitive and that's why I didn't see her around much other than homeroom. " Well Veronica, fear no more! I will be your personal guide through a Salem High Friday night "  
  
She giggled softly and moved closer to me. "I heard there's a party at Jeffrey Torres' House. Tonight after the game" Veronica said.  
  
Inwardly I sighed. Jeffrey Torres was an obnoxious football player. But if that's where she wanted to go, I wasn't about to deny her. "Perfect." I said. "I'll round up some of my friends and get them to come along. You can meet a bunch of new people."  
  
"Who are your friends?" she asked.  
  
"Well, you know Shawn. He's in our homeroom."  
  
"Right. He's a basketball player."  
  
I nodded surprised that she knew what sport he played. He probably was just trying to put the moves on her. Typical.  
  
"Who else?" She looked at me expectantly.  
  
For a second I hesitated. I felt sort of reluctant to tell her about Chloe. A lot of people misinterpreted our relationship, and I didn't want Veronica to get the wrong idea. But if I didn't tell her now, she would find out somewhere else anyway. "Chloe lane is my best friend. She's sitting on the other side of the bleachers with some of our friends."  
  
Veronica glanced across the stands. "She's not a cheerleader?"  
  
I laughed. The thought of Chloe as a cheerleader was almost like the thought of me going out there doing the cheers. I shook my head. "No. But she's a singer." Veronica sort of wrinkled her nose. "How. neat," she said.  
  
"Enough about Chloe. Tell me more about you."  
  
She was quiet for a while, like she was trying to organize her thoughts. " Let's see. I told you I was from New York."  
  
"Yeah." I was trying to focus on her words, but I was distracted by the piece of hair near her eye.  
  
"Did I tell you how cute I think you are?" She bit her lip and looked at me. I was shocked for a second. "Nope, I didn't know that."  
  
She shrugged. "Remind me at the party, and I'll tell you."  
  
I grinned and started imagining Chloe with her short blond hair. I was well on to my way to victory.  
  
When the game ended, I took Veronica's hand as we went through the crowds. I was pretty sure Chloe could get a ride with Mimi and Jason, but just in case she was waiting for me, I didn't want to leave her stranded.  
  
She wasn't in the stands, and after walking around the football once, I didn't see her anywhere. I could tell Veronica wasn't enjoying this, so I decided to assume that Chloe found a ride.  
  
"Can we swing by my house so I can change?" Veronica asked as we made our way to my jeep.  
  
" You look great now." I said  
  
" Thanks. But since I don't really know anyone, I'd feel better if I didn't look so scruffy." She said sliding into the passenger seat.  
  
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on the couch in her living room, waiting for her to finish getting ready.  
  
"I'm ready." I heard Veronica's voice say, and I turned around to look at her. She was wearing a short, red dress with a low neckline. She looked pretty amazing.  
  
"Good-bye Scruffy" I said  
  
"I guess that was a compliment." She said talking my arm.  
  
"Trust me, it was one."  
  
By the time we got to Jeffrey Torres' house, it was already lined with cars. Before we even reached the front lawn, I could hear the music pounding through the speakers.  
  
All of a sudden, Shawn came running out of the Torres' house. He was followed by a girl with a water gun. "I'm going to get you Shawn!" She yelled as she ran past us.  
  
Shawn stopped behind me and used me as a shield. " This is neutral territory," He shouted.  
  
The girl put down her gun." All right," she said. "But I'll be waiting for you inside."  
  
Shawn came out from behind me and slapped my hand. "Is this a great party or what?"  
  
I managed to nod. "This is definitely a party, I'll say that much."  
  
"Hey, What happened to you at the game? Chloe said you went over to talk to me, and then you never came back. When I told her that I hadn't seen you all night, she got this crazy look in her eye and started mumbling something about a bet."  
  
I instantly felt guilty about leaving Chloe behind. But I couldn't worry about that now. I'd just call her tomorrow and apologize. I turned to Veronica. "Shawn, You know Veronica."  
  
"Oh, Hey Veronica"  
  
He took her hand and kissed it.  
  
"Anyway, Chloe's inside," Shawn said. "Her and Mimi are tearing up the dance floor."  
  
"Really?" I didn't know why I was so surprised to hear that. I guess it was because usually I had to drag her to any major social event.  
  
"Yeah, man. Check it out." Shawn then sprinted in the house.  
  
I started giving Veronica the rundown on some of the people that were outside with us. She seemed to absorb everything I said, and stared intently at the person I was talking about.  
  
When we went inside, Veronica headed straight to the dance floor. Just as we stepped onto the dance floor, the music changed into a slow song. I took this as my cue to pull her into my arms.  
  
As I turned to move a little farther across the floor, my jaw suddenly dropped open. There was Chloe, dancing right next to us.  
  
Her eyes were closed, and her head was pressed against Michael's chest. I wouldn't have been more shocked if I saw an elephant walk into the room. Chloe wasn't the type to bring attention to herself like that. They were basically just standing there hugging kind of swaying a little to the music, in the middle of the crowded party.  
  
When Chloe opened her eyes, she caught me staring at her. I had expected her to get embarrassed and pull away a little from Michael, but she didn't. She just winked at me.  
  
"Hi Brady," She said sounding incredible proud.  
  
"Uh, hi" I answered.  
  
"What's up Black?" Michael asked, with a little nod of his head. "Who's your friend?" For a split second I couldn't remember Veronica's name. But it didn't matter because Chloe spoke up. "Veronica, right? I'm Chloe and this is Michael."  
  
I saw Chloe pull Michael a little closer, as if she didn't want Veronica to get any ideas.  
  
"Hi, Michael," Veronica answered. She didn't say anything to Chloe.  
  
There was a long pause. "Uh, well, maybe we'll run into each other later," I said, leading Veronica away.  
  
"Yeah, Maybe," Chloe said. She wasn't even looking at me. She was staring at Michael, and I felt like something significant happened- like maybe Chloe was outgrowing me.  
  
I brushed my chin against Veronica's soft hair, having a bad vision of myself with the word loser shaved in the back of my head.  
  
It wasn't a pretty picture.  
  
** I talked to Chloe Sunday night. " So, how's the lovely veronica?" she asked as soon as I picked up the phone.  
  
"Lovely," I answered dryly. I was waiting for her to comment on what a fool she'd made of herself by being all over Michael the other night.  
  
"Wasn't Friday incredible?" she asked.  
  
"Incredible," I replied. She wasn't picking up any of my signals.  
  
"Too bad Veronica isn't the kind of girl you could fall in love with. Guess I'm in the lead huh?"  
  
"What?" I shouted. She was seriously bugging me. "Why shouldn't fall in love with her?"  
  
"Didn't you see the way she was looking at Michael? I'm just saying I think she has a roving eye."  
  
"Give me a break. She would never go out with him. He's totally inferior to me." He was, wasn't he?  
  
Chloe laughed." Excuse me, I forgot who I was talking to. You are the greatest guy in the world, oops I meant universe."  
  
"I don't need your sarcasm," I said feeling a little hurt.  
  
Chloe was quiet for a moment. "I mean it, Brady. You are the best. I only need to look at you choice of best friends to know that."  
  
As usual I couldn't stay mad at her. "Sweet dreams, Chlo."  
  
"Sweet dreams, Black," she responded.  
  
When I hung up the phone, I was smiling. Chloe Lane was one of a kind- thank goodness.  
  
Ch. 5  
  
It was Saturday night, and I was going on my first date with Michael. I was standing in front of my mirror checking how I looked. I heard a honk outside, grabbed my purse and ran out the door.  
  
"Bye," I yelled to my parents who were watching TV.  
  
"Brady always comes to the door," My mom yelled.  
  
"Yea, well Brady's a dork," I yelled back  
  
Michael was waiting in his car, and he looked so hot. He leaned over and pushed open the door for me, I thought I was going to faint on the spot, I couldn't believe I was actually going on a date with him.  
  
We went to dotcom and took our seats. After ordering, Michael suddenly leaned forward.  
  
"So, you and Brady Black don't have a thing going on?"  
  
I froze. "What?"  
  
"You and Black. Everyone knows you two are joined at the hip."  
  
I couldn't help laughing. Brady had had about twenty girlfriends in the past two years alone. Did he think I was the kind of girl to let my boyfriend date on the side?  
  
"Brady has had lots of girlfriends, but I was not one of them. We're just friends."  
  
"I know one thing," Michael said taking my hand.  
  
"What's that?'  
  
"We could never be friends." His hazel eyes looking into mine.  
  
"Why?" I whispered  
  
"Because I'd always want to kiss you."  
  
Just then the waitress, brought our orders, breaking the tension.  
  
We started eating, and Michael seemed content to eat in silence, so I let myself tune into the other conversations around me.  
  
I listened to what the people in the booth behind me were saying. I heard a voice the belonged to a preppy-looking girl.  
  
"Daddy took away my credit card for the month. He freaked out when I bought a leather jacket. He's such a ogre."  
  
I rolled my eyes. What a snob.  
  
"How unfair," Her date said. "Doesn't he know that without a credit card, you are a nobody?"  
  
"What is there to do? He doesn't understand what it's like. Maybe I should sue him for negligence."  
  
I giggled. The couple behind us sounded like characters from movie Clueless. Were they for real?  
  
"Are you listening to that couple? I whispered to Michael  
  
He shook his head. " What did they say?"  
  
I cleared my throat getting ready to do my rich-girl impersonation.  
  
"It's sooo atrocious," I said, imitating the girl." Daddy took away my credit card He's going to make me drive the beamer. He is sooo unfair." I laughed again.  
  
Michael's expression was blank.  
  
He started looking at me like I was crazy. Obviously he didn't think it was funny. I sighed. If Brady had been with me, I would have been the girl, while he imitated the guy. We probably would've spent the time role- playing, and laughing the entire time.  
  
Looking at Michael's serious face, I was embarrassed.  
  
Michaels decided to change the subject. "So, My band might have a CD out by this year." I was impressed. "Oh, yea? Will you give me a private listening to you album?" I batted my eyelashes.  
  
He reached under the table and patted my knee. "Anytime, Chloe, anytime"  
  
**** It was almost eleven by the time Michael pulled up to my house. Nervous, I reached over to open the door. But Michael pulled me back,  
  
"You're a funny girl, Chloe," he whispered. Funny? "I could get used to having you around."  
  
The he leaned over and kissed me. At first, all I was thinking was, "OMG he's kissing me!" But then I relaxed a little.  
  
When he pulled away, I felt shaky. "Sweet dreams, Chloe" he whispered.  
  
As I walked up the path to my house, I realized that "sweet dreams" was what Brady always said to me. Somehow, it seemed a whole lot different hearing it from Michael.. ***  
  
Sunday Morning, I went over to the Devereaux's (sp?) house. A few days a week I baby-sit their ten-year old daughter, Abby. When I got there, I saw her practicing her dance moves. That was her number-one priority. Her number two priority was talking about boys.  
  
"Hey Abby" I said  
  
"Hey Chloe! Wanna help me practice my new dance routine that I learned?" she asked  
  
"Of course"  
  
We were practicing her routine, when Brady pulled up to the house. He loved coming to visit me at Abby's because she worshiped the ground he walked on.  
  
Abby stopped midstep, and ran to Brady. "Do you want to see my new dance?" she asked him.  
  
He walked over and sat next to me." Of course I do. You don't think I came over here to see Chloe do you?"  
  
Abby giggled, and went to rewind her tape.  
  
"So how was your date?" Brady asked as he was watching Abby dance happily.  
  
"Amazing" I said remembering my date.  
  
"Are you sure your not just saying that, so you can win our bet?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at me.  
  
" I'll have you know, that bet is the last thing on my mind." It was a lie, but he didn't have to know that.  
  
"Encore!" Brady shouted as Abby finished her routine.  
  
"Was he boring?"  
  
"He's fascinating. More important, he finds me fascinating"  
  
"I don't doubt that," Brady said." After his last girlfriend, you must seem like a rocket scientist."  
  
"Gee, Thanks for the backhanded compliment." He was really starting to irritate me. He should be happy I found some romance. He always acted like my finding a boyfriend was the most important thing in the world to him.  
  
"I'm sorry. Just tell me one thing."  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"How many times did he check his hair?"  
  
I had to laugh. Michael was pretty vain.  
  
I walked Brady over to his car, while Abby went to keep her music. I knew she was disappointed that he was leaving.  
  
"So, really, how much do you like Michael?" He asked while opening his car door.  
  
I thought about it for a minute. I never really thought that a guy like Michael would ever like me. I just had to go for it. "I like him a lot" I said finally.  
  
Brady shook his head. "Don't get the razor out yet. A whole lot could happen between now and winter ball."  
  
Brady backed out the driveway. As I watched his car disappear down the street, I had a feeling he was up to something. But, then again, when wasn't he?  
  
Ch. 6  
  
I can't get my mind off of Chloe and Michael. For the past two days, I've seen them flirting, and a couple of times, even holding hands. It was weird seeing Chloe like that. She seemed like a different person, and I'm not sure I liked it. When I told her she should fall in love, I didn't think she would do it so fast.  
  
Sure, Michael's a good-looking guy, if you like the pretty- boy type.  
  
And he's definitely popular. But his personality is a whole different story. I've never seen Chloe laugh when she'd with him. When she's with me, she can't stop laughing.  
  
***  
  
I was sick of being alone, dating random girls who meant nothing to me. I wanted something more.  
  
I am more than ready to take things with Veronica to another level. I already thought she was a beautiful girl. And she was pretty smart. Not too mention sophisticated.  
  
I didn't know why I was so nervous as I was pulling up to her driveway for our date. "Was it because I really wanted this relationship to go somewhere? Was I afraid of rejection? Or was I just getting rusty?"  
  
Anyway, I packed a picnic basket, for our date, so we could go to the park. When I rung the doorbell, a little blond boy answered the door. He was in a power ranger's shirt and looked like he was playing in the dirt.  
  
"Who are you?" He demanded.  
  
"Brady Black, sir. Are you the man of the house?" I asked. He opened the door wider and let me in.  
  
"Are you my sister's boyfriend?" He asked  
  
"I don't know, maybe we should ask her."  
  
"Are you being a brat again?" Veronica said, coming down the stairs glaring at her little brother.  
  
"NO!" He shouted.  
  
"Get out of here. Go back to your dirt."  
  
He ran out the door.  
  
"Cute kid," I said  
  
She gave me a kiss on the check. "He's a little monster. Why can't kids just be born full grown?" Apparently she didn't like kids very much.  
  
As we were getting in the car, I turned to look at her. "What do you think about a picnic?"  
  
"Sure. As long as I don't eat ants." I laughed and looked at her. Apparently, she wasn't joking. " So where are we going?"  
  
"The park" I said. I didn't usually take my dates there, I usually only went there with Chloe. And I wanted to share it with Veronica since she was special.  
  
As we were driving I asked" So how do you like Salem High?"  
  
"It's okay. I've been buttering up some of the cheerleaders, so I should get on the squad next season. And from what I've seen of the student government, I have a good shot at becoming president."  
  
"Wow. You're pretty ambitious."  
  
"I like to leave my mark"  
  
We pulled up to the park, and walked to a secluded area.  
  
"Wow, this spot is so beautiful." She said, as if she was expecting me to take her to a dump.  
  
We started eating our picnic, I prepared.  
  
"Maybe we should bring your brother out here sometime," I said. "Think of all the awesome mud pies he could make."  
  
She looked at me as if I grew another head.  
  
"Or, Maybe not" She said.  
  
"How about we make a toast," I said trying to break the tension.  
  
"To us, and my new life here in Salem" Veronica said. We clinked out soda cans, and she gazed at me.  
  
I put down my soda and moved closer to Veronica. Our lips met, and I kissed her softly. As our kiss deepened, I wished that Chloe was there to see it.  
  
****  
  
"It was great. I asked her to homecoming" I said to Shawn. We had just finished a game of one-on-one at the basketball court.  
  
"Did she say yes?" He said while spinning the basketball on his finger.  
  
"Of course she said yes. Has a woman ever resisted my charms?"  
  
" I can think one." Shawn shoved the ball in my stomach and I groaned.  
  
"Who?" I asked while dribbling the ball.  
  
"Who do you think? Chloe."  
  
""Excuse me?" I grabbed the ball and stood motionless.  
  
"Chloe Lane. The girl you've been mooning over forever. She's never fallen prey to your brand of manliness."  
  
"Chloe and I are friends. Look it up"  
  
"Why don't you look up denial? You've got a bad case."  
  
"I thought we were talking about Veronica." We started walking to the parking lot.  
  
"I don't know why you're so desperate to find a girlfriend. The dance is weeks away. You could probably find someone better."  
  
I shook my head." See, Shawn, there's this really cool stuff in life. It's called Love, fulfillment, and happiness."  
  
"And?" He said stopping and staring at me.  
  
"And what?"  
  
" You think you can find that with Veronica?"  
  
Shawn took the basketball.  
  
"Sure. Why not?"  
  
Shawn threw up his hands in surrender. " I just don't see how you can say you love some girl you've known for just a couple of months."  
  
"Look, I'm trying to find something real. I don't see anything wrong with that." I started walking again.  
  
"Well, I like to play the field, girls just equal one big headache."  
  
He threw the basketball to me." And take it from me, you're headed for trouble." I gave Shawn a not-so-soft punch in the arm.  
  
What did he know anyway?  
  
Ch.7  
  
I still can't believe that Michael asked me to homecoming yesterday. I really can't wait to tell Brady.. It feels like I haven't talked to him in ages..  
  
Unfortunately, Michael's band was playing at the dance, so I really wouldn't be able to spend much time with him. But I comforted myself, by knowing that every girl would be jealous because I was with the band's sexy lead singer.  
  
*** It was Friday afternoon and Mimi and I were dress shopping. She had agreed to go with one of Michael's friends, although she wasn't looking forward to it too much. We were looking through different rack searching for the right dress. I pulled out a short black dress.. It looked absolutely perfect.  
  
Mimi picked out a couple of dresses to try on also, and we headed for the dressing room.  
  
"So I guess Brady and that Veronica girl are getting pretty serious huh?" Mimi's muffled voice asked, as she was pulling off her sweater.  
  
I started taking off my boots. "They're going to homecoming, if that's what you mean."  
  
Mimi came out so I could zip up her dress. "Yeah, I knew they were going to the dance. I mean, Brady asked her a while ago. But that bracelet he gave her looked really expensive. Shawn told me that Brady blew off a big chunk of money for it."  
  
My hands stopped midzip." What are you talking about? What bracelet?"  
  
In the mirror, I could see Mimi raise her eyebrows. " You mean, you don't know about it?"  
  
I shook my head, trying to look nonchalant. "No, he probably just forgot to mention it. It's no big deal."  
  
"Well, it's gold and it has an opal on it. Opal's her birthstone. I saw the bracelet when I was in the bathroom yesterday. The way she was holding her wrist up, I'd have to be blind not to notice it." I tried to look like I had no interest in what was being said. "I didn't know Brady was the kind of guy who'd do something as hokey as buying a girl her birthstone,"  
  
"I'm sure he'll tell you all about the bracelet. He probably just hasn't had the chance." Mimi said while turning to her side seeing how the dress looked in the mirror.  
  
"Oh yea, I'm sure it just slipped his mind."  
  
Inside I was furious. How in the world had Brady neglected to tell me about something as important as this to his best friend? He'd obviously told Shawn about it, he probably even consulted Shawn about what to buy. Brady never bought presents for his girlfriends, especially expensive jewelry.  
  
Maybe Brady really was in love with Veronica, If so, then the bet would be a draw, I mean I was in love with Michael wasn't I? But was Brady going to abandon me now that he's found something better? In the past, our friendship always came first. He'd tell me everything and anything about his life. Including his love life. Now it seemed like he didn't need me at all. Maybe I'd said good-bye to my best friend. It was a depressing thought.  
  
"Well, I think Brady's going out with Veronica is a complete waste of a great guy. She's the absolute worst." Mimi said interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"Why's that?" I had to admit; I didn't like Veronica very much. Every time I meet her it's like I just walked into a freezer. But I was used to get the cold shoulder from Brady's girlfriends. I actually got a kick out of it, I found it kind of amusing. But I was surprised to find that Mimi seemed to have a negative feeling towards her.  
  
"That girl is such a social climber. I heard her bragging about Brady in the restroom. She was going on and on about how good he looked, but he didn't say a thing about his personality." She said putting her clothes back on.  
  
"Really?" I was studying myself in the mirror. Somehow, the black dress had lost its appeal. I suddenly had a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and all of a sudden shopping was the last thing I wanted to do.  
  
"Then I heard her tell Jan Spears that Brady was her ticket to popularity. Since everyone knows who he is, they'll know who she is too. She said by the time she's a senior (veronica is a junior), she'd be captain of the cheerleading squad and going out with the quarterback. How shallow could you get?"  
  
I hung the black dress back up. "You're not jealous of Veronica, are you? I mean Brady's a great guy, but not great boyfriend material."  
  
Mimi frowned. "Chloe, I'm not jealous. Are you?" "Don't make me laugh," I said indignantly. "I'd never go out with Brady. I've told you that about a thousand times."  
  
"I know that's what you say." Mimi said putting her shoes back on. "But you never tell me why you don't want to go out with him."  
  
I sighed." For one thing, I'm into Michael. Even if I wasn't, Brady and I would never be right for each other."  
  
"Expand." Mimi said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"First of all, he's like my best friend, he can't commit, he's arrogant, we have different taste in drinks, we get into stupid fights about who gets to handle the remote control, we."  
  
I knew I was babbling, but Mimi's questions were really starting to get me. Talking about Brady in a personal way was making me uncomfortable.  
  
Mimi laughed." Ok, I now see that you two are a match made in hell. I'll drop the subject. I know how much you hate talking about Brady."  
  
"Thank you. Now let's go. I can't find a dress in here."  
  
As we walked out of the store, I tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. I still couldn't believe that Brady hadn't told me about buying that bracelet for Veronica. As soon as I got home I was going to call him.  
  
***  
  
I twisted the strand of hair with my finger, as I waited for someone to pick up the phone. On the third ring, I heard Marlena's warm voice.  
  
"Hi, Marlena. May I talk with Brady?" I kicked off my shoes and lay back on my bed.  
  
"Chloe! It's so good to hear from you, I feel like I haven't seen you in so long."  
  
"Well, I've been pretty busy." Marlena was one of my most favorite people. She was like my second mother.  
  
"Chlo?" Brady said picking up the phone.  
  
"Hey." For some reason my heart started racing. All of a sudden, Brady sounded like a stranger.  
  
"What're you doin' tonight?" He asked  
  
"I have a date with Michael." I walked over to my closet to pick out something to wear.  
  
"Looks like our bet might be a draw." His voice sounded a little tired.  
  
"So I hear," I responded, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.  
  
"Whoa, what's that supposed to mean?" I could tell he was irritated, but I really could have cared less.  
  
"You and Veronica are getting pretty close. Everyone's talking about that bracelet you found necessary to buy for her."  
  
"It was her birthday, so what's the big deal?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you were so in love with her that you decided to blow your cash? Am I not important enough for you to fill me in about your life?" I was getting angrier and angrier. Brady could have at least let me know he was thinking about buying her something, I could have even helped him pick it out.  
  
"Excuse me for having a life. I thought you were too busy kissing Michael Suckface in the halls to care what I was doing." Now Brady was mad too, and I could tell our conversation wasn't going to end pretty.  
  
" Ha! Your lips are glued to Veronica's. I'm starting to think you two are Siamese twins."  
  
"I think you're just worried that I'm going to win. You're worried about that sorry excuse of a boyfriend and you know it's not gonna last until Winter Ball."  
  
I pulled out a jean skirt and a black turtleneck sweater. Then I slammed my closet door.  
  
"I'll have you know that I am completely in love with Michael. You on the other hand wouldn't know love if it knocked you on the head. All you care about is a pretty face."  
  
With the help of my free hand, I struggled out of my jeans. Time was ticking and I still hadn't changed.  
  
"Chloe, you don't know a thing about me. Obviously you've spent all these years in a fog."  
  
"Obviously," I responded sarcastically. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish getting ready for my date. Have a wonderful life."  
  
"Same to you." His voice was barely audible.  
  
"Good-bye" I set down the phone with a violent bang. I was on the verge of tears, and Michael was going to be outside honking in about ten minutes. As furious I was with Brady, I couldn't believe how our conversation ended. We have never been so mean and cold to each other, and I wasn't sure how I could get past it. I tried to act excited about seeing Michael, but the tears were working their way down my cheeks. My face looked pale, my eyes red. I might have been in love, but I looked like I just lost my best friend.  
  
**** "Do you know how beautiful you look?" Michael said, pulling me close.  
  
I leaned my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat." You're not so bad yourself."  
  
We'd gone out to Tuscany, and know we were at my front door.  
  
"Chloe, I'm so glad we found each other. I was really bummed out at the beginning of the year. When Kimberley left, I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life. But when I walked into Creative writing class, there you were."  
  
"Sounds like fate to me." I said looking into his eyes, wanting to lose myself in them and forget about everything else.  
  
"Me too." He moved his face close to mine and finally met his lips with mine. I felt little tingles, but a weird feeling of confusion washed over me. I had what I wanted, but there was this haunting sense of a major letdown. Why?  
  
Ignoring my brain, I pressed myself closer, trying to lose myself in the kiss. As we pulled apart, we were both breathless.  
  
Michael smiled, and smoothed me hair behind my ear. He leaned forward and gave me a peck on the forehead, then tilted to whisper in my ear. "I'll sing a song just for you at the dance."  
  
I slipped inside my house. As I walked upstairs, a part of me felt really happy. I achieved my senior year goal. It wasn't even homecoming and I was falling in love for the first time. Who would have ever thought that cynical Chloe Lane was capable of doing that?  
  
But then another part, a huge part, of me felt as if I'd just been run over by a car. Although I could call Mimi and tell her all the details of what happened on my date, Brady's door was closed to me. And if I couldn't share the events of my life with the person I cared most about in the world, It was almost as if they hadn't happened at all. 


	3. CH 8 to 10

Ch. 8  
  
A/n: Belle is in no way related to Brady.. Oh yea.. I LOVE feedback. *wink wink*  
  
By the time I got to physics class the next Monday morning, I was feeling pretty anxious to see Chloe. We haven't talked since that horrible phone conversation. I still wasn't sure what we'd gotten into a huge such a huge fight about. One second we were talking like sane people, then we'd been shouting like we were enemies at war. The whole experience was unsettling, and I hadn't been able to get it off my mind since.  
  
When Chloe entered the classroom, she sat down right next to me. Since there were several empty seats, I took this as a good sign. When class started, I tore a piece of my notebook paper. "TRUCE?" I wrote in big bold letters. I was willing to make the first move, but I wasn't going to apologize.  
  
I poked her in the arm with my pencil and held up the paper. She whipped her head around and read the paper. She gave me a little smile. I smiled back because all of a sudden I felt as if a two- ton weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.  
  
As soon as class ended, Chloe got up and put her hands on my shoulders.  
  
"Friends?" She asked.  
  
I nodded, squeezing her hands. "Always."  
  
When we got out of the classroom, I turned to her. "How about we go to Dotcom together after school and remind ourselves that we don't hate each other."  
  
"Great idea. I'll meet you there at 3."  
  
Veronica was waiting for me in the hallway. The bracelet I gave her was gleaming from her wrist. I glanced over at Chloe, who plastered a smile on her face.  
  
"Hi, guys," Veronica, said, beaming at me.  
  
"Hey, Veronica," Chloe said, "That's a gorgeous bracelet." Chloe sounded as if she was talking to her best friend and I was glad she was trying to be nice to Veronica.  
  
Veronica held up her wrist. "Thanks, Chloe. Brady gave it to me. Isn't he sweet?" she asked, stepping closer to me.  
  
I saw Chloe roll her eyes. Her deep blue eyes were intense, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "As sweet as sugar," Chloe, agreed." See you lovebirds later"  
  
When Chloe walked away, Veronica gave me a peck on the cheek. "Guess what?" she asked.  
  
"What?" I still had one eye on Chloe, who was with Michael standing next to her locker.  
  
She was laughing, and it was hard to believe that she was the same girl who had gotten so angry Saturday night.  
  
"I talked to Natalie Starks," Veronica said, "And we decided that she and Jeffrey would double with you and me at the dance Saturday night."  
  
I frowned, remembering how obnoxious Jeffrey Torres usually was at dances or parties. He was not someone I was dying to associate with. But as usual, Veronica didn't seem to notice that I wasn't too thrilled about the idea.  
  
"Won't it be just great?" she asked. "We'll have a awesome time together. And if I become great friends with Natalie, then I'll be a shoo-in for the cheerleading squad." If she really wanted to go with the dance with them, who was I to stop her? After all, the better the mood she was in, the more romantic she'd feel.  
  
"That'll be fun," I said "I'll drive"  
  
We separated, Veronica had to go her next class, and I had Study hall. I was meeting Shawn in the library to work on our history report together.  
  
I found him in the middle of the school's library with about twenty books spread around him. He had a pencil in his mouth, and looked more like a serious student than he actually was.  
  
"Hey, Shawn" I said, pulling up a chair.  
  
"Shh. This is a library." Shawn said.  
  
I leaned in close so he could hear me whisper." What's up with the Boy Scout routine?" I asked.  
  
Shawn pointed to a girl behind the checkout desk of the library. Lots of juniors got stuck with library duty, but I've never seen Shawn so in awe of someone. The girl had medium-length blond hair and was wearing a yellow sundress with a small white jacket over. He looked at me and said," promised Belle we'd be quiet."  
  
I raised my eyebrows. Has aliens stolen the real Shawn and replaced him with a clone? I'd never seen him so worried about a promise to a library attendant before." So what?"  
  
"She's an awesome girl Brady. Let's show her some respect." Shawn whispered, shifting his eyes back to where Belle was punching something into the computer.  
  
"I reached out to feel his forehead. "Are you sure you're not sick? Or have you just lost your mind?"  
  
He swatted m hand away." We should get to work. Belle was nice enough to help me find these books. Let's use them."  
  
I started thumbing thought the pages of the books Shawn handed me. When I lifted m head to ask Shawn about how we should divide the work, I saw that he was staring at Belle, and his mouth hanging open. I waved my hand in front of his face to try and get his attention.  
  
I watched as a small blush rose to his cheeks. Whether he knew it or not, Shawn was falling for the girl who worked in the library.  
  
*****  
  
"Her name is Belle," I said to Chloe as we walked into Dotcom. "She works in the library."  
  
"Belle Evans?" Chloe asked, making a beeline for an open booth.  
  
"I guess. Shawn just called her belle. And he had this goofy expression on his face whenever he said her name." I said, sliding into our booth.  
  
"That's interesting. Somehow I didn't picture Belle as Shawn's type." Chloe said while taking of her jacket.  
  
"Well, I really think he has a thing for her. Who would've guessed? But Love does work in mysterious ways."  
  
"And if anyone knows that, it's us." Chloe agreed. The waitress came over, and we gave her our orders.  
  
"True, I mean less than three months ago, we thought we'd never fall in love, now here we are." I grinned.  
  
The waitress returned with our drinks. " You know Brady, I'm really glad you came up with this bet because, with out it, I probably never would have tried to get with Michael."  
  
" I'm happy for you Chlo, but I still think Michael is a loser." I said as I took a sip of my drink.  
  
"Yeah? Well, what If I said I didn't think Veronica was good enough for you?" she asked.  
  
"Then I'd tell you to mind your own business." I responded.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"So, you're telling me to mind my own business."  
  
"Why, I think he's got it!"  
  
I waved my napkin as a white flag." You've got a deal."  
  
She nodded." I thought you would see things my way."  
  
I watched as Chloe finished her drink in one giant gulp. I laughed, She really was one in a million.  
  
****  
  
It was homecoming Saturday. Friday afternoon, I'd gotten everything ready, my suit, the corsage, and I'd even washed my car. I was ready.  
  
Since Jeffrey was on the football team and Natalie was a cheerleader, Veronica and I were going alone to the football game-Thank Goodness. But then we'd go home to change, and I'd swing by to pick everyone up. I still was not looking forward to go with Jeffrey and Natalie, but what was I to do?  
  
When we got to the game, Veronica pulled me over to the section that was right in front of the cheerleaders.  
  
"Let's sit here," she said. "So, we can see all of our friends." 'You mean your friends,' I thought to myself.  
  
I saw Shawn out of the corner of my eye and waved him over to sit with us.  
  
Veronica stood up and gave him a hug. "Hey Shawnie, how are you?"  
  
"To tell you the truth, I've been better."  
  
Veronica didn't seem to hear his answer." So, who are you going to the dance with?"  
  
Shawn shook his head. "I'm not going."  
  
"I thought you were going to ask Belle." I said. He'd been building up the courage, and he'd sworn that he was going to ask her on Friday.  
  
"I decided that it would be an insult to ask her right before the dance, it's like saying that I thought she couldn't find any other date.  
  
"Belle Evans? You mean that Blah-looking girl in the library?" Veronica asked wrinkling up her nose.  
  
I nudged her in the ribs. Sure she was beautiful and sophisticated, but diplomacy wasn't her strong point." I think she's really cute." I said.  
  
Shawn shrugged." Maybe Veronica's right. What do I have in common with a girl like her anyway?"  
  
"You don't want to go out with her," Veronica said." I'm positive you could get someone more poplar."  
  
"Chloe really likes Belle," I said. " She was in one of her classes last year, she said she was really nice." I glanced at Veronica, trying to tell her with my eyes to lay off of Shawn. Belle was the first girl I'd ever seen him have a major thing for, and I didn't want Veronica to convince him of something different.  
  
"Well, Chloe liking her doesn't say much. She doesn't exactly have her finger on the pulse of Salem high." Veronica's voice sounded sweet, but her words made my stomach churn.  
  
"What does that mean?" I almost had forgotten that Shawn was sitting next to us.  
  
"Well, I doubt Chloe would make the who's who of popular seniors. She's nice, but." Veronica let her voice trail off, as if she'd said everything there was to say about Chloe.  
  
"Chloe doesn't hang out with those people because she's got better things to do. Like sing. And write, and hang out with me." I knew I was being a bit cranky, but I couldn't help myself. If there was anything that made my blood boil it was hearing something negative about Chloe. Only I could talk about how much she irritated me, but when anyone else opened their mouth, I felt a strong need to punch something.  
  
"Excuse me, Brady. I was just making an observation." Veronica sounded hurt, and I really felt guilty. Besides, Chloe didn't need me fighting her battles.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said. " I guess I'm just get a little defensive when it comes to Chlo. Shawn knows what I mean, don't you?" I looked to my left expecting to see Shawn there, but all I saw was the back of his leather jacket on his way to the Snack Bar.  
  
"Nevermind" Veronica said, putting her hand on my knee. "I'm sure we could find something else to talk about other than Chloe."  
  
I nodded." I agree, let's talk about us."  
  
When Veronica launched into a big speech about her dress, and yada yada yada, I glanced around.  
  
Up several rows, to my right was Chloe with Michael. They had a big blanket around them, and I couldn't tell if they were holding hands. Not that I cared or anything. I was just curious.  
  
Mimi was sitting behind them with a guy who I assumed was her homecoming date, but there was at least three feet of bench separating them.  
  
My eyes traveled back to Chloe, and I was desperate to know what was going on under that blanket. Just then, she glanced in my direction. Her eyes widened, and then averted her gaze. I felt a blush coming to my cheeks. Did she think I was staring at her?  
  
Veronica's voice interrupted my thoughts. "My dad said I could extend my curfew for two hours. Isn't that great?"  
  
I moved closer to her and put my arm around her. "That's great."  
  
"I know. Especially since the star of the basketball team is supposed to have an after-party. It's invitation only, but I'm positive we'll be on the list."  
  
I groaned silently, tilting my head back in Chloe's direction. Our eyes met briefly and I saw Chloe jump. The blanket slid from her lap, and I finally saw that they were holding hands.  
  
I closed my eyes, wondering if she was finding love as difficult to deal with as I was.  
  
Somehow I didn't think so.  
  
Ch. 9  
  
Michael and I had to arrive at the dance early so him and the rest of his band could set up. Now the band was in full swing, even though a lot of people hadn't arrived yet.  
  
"What do you think of gay Paree?" I heard Mimi say. Our theme for the dance was "An evening in Paris" The gym looked kind of pretty, You could tell it there was lots of hard work put into decorating, there was even a paper mache of the Eiffel tower.  
  
"What happened to James?"  
  
James was Mimi's date. They'd driven to the dance with us, but now James was nowhere in sight.  
  
"He's hanging out in the parking lot with some of his buddies. I think we could cross him off as Mr. Right."  
  
"Well you look gorgeous. You should keep an eye out for prospects."  
  
Mimi really did look beautiful. We'd both went back to the store we went to and bought the dresses we tried on. Mimi looked every inch prom queen material.  
  
"I did meet a guy. I see him standing over by the Eiffel Tower, I think I'll go and say hi."  
  
Once Mimi left, I felt like a wallflower. The gym was filling with students, and it seemed like I was the only one standing by myself. I was bored, frustrated. Michael would be playing all night, and everyone else I knew was on the dance floor.  
  
My heels were killing me, so I decided to go take a seat. From my spot I saw that Brady had just walked in with Veronica, Natalie, and Jeffrey. I could always feel Brady's presence in a room. Over the past few years I'd developed some kind of homing device that alerted me to Brady's whereabouts. Sometime I almost felt like we had something like that twin ESP that people talk about.  
  
After watching Brady and Veronica move to the dance floor, I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. I had a long day and I still had hours to go.  
  
My eyes popped open when I heard Michael speak into the microphone. "I'd like to dedicate this song to Chloe Lane," he said in his low voice. "She's my blue eyed girl."  
  
Hundred pairs of eyes suddenly turned to me. I stoop up and gave Michael a little wave. Looking at his smiling face, I smiled back. The tempo for the song was slow, sultry, and perfect for "An evening in Paris."  
  
But even though the song I was listening too was being played for me, I couldn't help but be depressed. I hadn't been on the dance floor once all night, and now it seems like I was going to stand around and watch everyone else have all the fun.  
  
"May I have this dance?"  
  
I whipped around. Brady was beside me, his blue eyes twinkling. In his navy blue suit, he looked elegant and sophisticated. He had his blond hair trimmed. Basically, he looked like a GQ cover model.  
  
"It would be my pleasure," I responded, stepping into his open arms.  
  
Brady was scanning the floor, and I thought he was looking for Veronica. I was wrong.  
  
"So, Shawn never showed up huh?" he commented.  
  
"Belle isn't here either." Brady shook his head. "What a waste, huh? They're both probably a home, miserable."  
  
"Thanks goodness, that's not us," I said.  
  
Brady pulled me a little closer. "Thank goodness," He whispered. Then we both fell silent.  
  
Brady and I never danced together much. He'd probably been to every school dance, but I'd only been to a few. And my usual pattern was that as soon as I'd arrived, I'd start planning a way to ditch my date and head home. Like I said, I'd never been lucky in love.  
  
"You look great, Chloe" Brady said, looking directly into my eyes. We'd move into the middle of the dance floor, and I was incredibly aware that Brady's arms were wrapped tightly around me. But it wasn't like he had a choice, we were dancing to a slow song, so he had to hold me close.  
  
"Do you really think so?" I asked. Brady almost never gave me compliments; we were more into the affectionate teasing.  
  
He nodded "yup."  
  
"Thanks. But why are you being so nice? It's becoming unnerving."  
  
I was aware of Michael's voice singing in the background, but I was focusing all of my attention on Brady.  
  
He laughed. " Am I being nice? Ignore me." He spun me around, and then dipped me. The serious expression was gone from his face. "Hey, do you think that dress is tight enough? It looks like it's sewn on." Now there was the Brady I knew.  
  
"Yeah? Well, let me ask you something," I said, giggling. "How many tubes of gel did you use in your hair tonight? Three? Maybe four?"  
  
We both started laughing. Then as the song started to speed up a bit, I started to lead Brady into something that resembled something like the tango. We shot across the dance floor, forcing other people to clear a path for us.  
  
By the time the music slowed down, we'd reached the other side of the dance floor. There wasn't much light, and we were left dancing in the shadows. Brady pulled me close again, and I found myself putting my arms around his neck.  
  
All of a sudden, I was out of breath. I was suddenly aware that both the pulse I my neck had speed up to a hundred beats a minute and the firmness of Brady's muscles beneath my hands.  
  
When I tilted my head to look at his face, I found Brady's mouth just millimeters from mine. Time seemed to stop, and I couldn't tear myself away from the piercing light in his eyes. This is what the other girls see. I thought. This is the Brady I've never known before.  
  
I moved my head closer to his, closing my eyes. I couldn't stop myself.  
  
"May I cut in?" I heard a high-pitched voice behind us.  
  
"Veronica!" Brady said, jumping away from me. "I was just going to look for you."  
  
"Well, here I am," she said, completely ignoring me.  
  
"Right, here you are," I said moving further away from Brady. " I'll catch you later, Brady."  
  
I pushed my way through the couples on the dance floor, trying to look for Mimi. I was in need of some cynical banter about how lame school dances really were.  
  
When I'd made it halfway across the dance floor, I turned to sneak a glance at Brady. He was starting at me, but I was too far to read the expression in his eyes.  
  
My breath caught in my throat, and I felt paralyzed.  
  
At that moment, Veronica pulled Brady's head down for a kiss, and the spell as broken. I wasn't exactly sure what happened between us, but I hoped that whatever it was wouldn't happen again. *****  
  
"What a rush," Michael said hours later. " I always loved performing like that."  
  
It was almost one o'clock, and I really wanted to get home. The dance was over, but Michael and the rest of the band had to pack up their equipment.  
  
"You guys were great," I said. "Everyone loved you."  
  
"What can I say? This is in my blood." We were packed and ready to go.  
  
When we pulled up to my house, the porch light was on. Through the curtains, I could make out my mom's form waiting on the couch.  
  
Michael turned off the ignition. He turned in his seat and reached to put his hands on my hips. He pulled me close, kissing me with more intensity, than ever before  
  
Chills ran up and down my spine, and my body tingled with excitement. "Brady," I whispered, feeling his soft hair beneath my fingertips.  
  
In the next second, my heart stopped. I opened my eyes, unable t o believe what I just said. I just called Michael by Brady's name. What was I thinking? Did he notice?  
  
I pulled back an inch and started at Michael. In response he hugged me. He obviously didn't hear me. Thank God. But I couldn't concentrate on Michael's kisses. Brady's name was echoing in my mind, the sound mocking me. Why did I say it? What was wrong with me?  
  
I shook my head slightly. I told myself that saying his name didn't mean anything. I'd just seen Brady, and he was on mind.  
  
"I never want to stop kissing you," Michael said.  
  
"I love you," I whispered.  
  
I'd never said those words before (except to Brady, but that was in a different way). I always imagined bells ringing, fireworks shooting into the sky when the time came. I didn't feel any of that with Michael, but I figured, I expected too much.  
  
It wasn't until I climbed into bed that I realized Michael hadn't said it back. But I was sure he would- soon. ****  
  
"Did you dance all night?" Abby asked, pulling Ben & Jerry's from the freezer.  
  
I got out the spoons. " No, Michael's band was playing, so I didn't really have anyone to dance with."  
  
Abby sighed dramatically. "Dances are so romantic. I wish I could go."  
  
When I got to her house this morning, she'd been hopping up and down grilling me about how the dance was, Observing Abby's face, I felt like a bitter old woman.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be going to hundreds of dances. I bet every guy would jump at the chance to go with you." I said while scooping out the ice cream.  
  
"Was Brady there?" Ever since Abby and her friends started getting boy crazy, she had an even bigger crush on Brady.  
  
"Yeah. He was with his girlfriend, Veronica."  
  
Abby frowned- she didn't like the idea of Brady with another girl she's never seen. "Well, did you at least dance with him?"  
  
"Yep. Once." I hope Abby didn't see my cheeks turning red. I could feel my face getting warm at the memory of me and Brady during those few moments on the dance floor.  
  
"Do you think Brady will take me to a dance"  
  
I laughed. "Isn't he kind of old for you?"  
  
Abby shrugged. "I'm mature for my age."  
  
"I'll put in a good word for you," I said, grinning.  
  
Abby ate quietly for a moment, then looked at me with a serious expression. "Are you and Brady going to get married someday?"  
  
I almost choked on my ice cream. "No!" Abby and I had been over the face that Brady and I were just friends hundreds of times, but she refused to accept it.  
  
Abby looked at me. "Well, I think you should marry him. And I'll be your bridesmaid." I just shook my head and rolled my eyes. The little girl had a lot to learn about love.  
  
Ch. 10  
  
*** Basking in the sun at the Park, Veronica and I lounged on a thick plaid blanket.  
  
Hearing the sound of female laughter, I turned my head. It wasn't Veronica who was laughing, it was Chloe. She was shielding her eyes from the sun, and her long tan legs were stretched out in front of her.  
  
Without questioning her, I lay down with my head in her lap, smiling into her sparkling eyes. Slowly she bent down and my brushed her lips over the sensitive skin next to me earlobe. Then her mouth moved to mine, and I reached up, tangling my fingers into her long, thick mass of dark hair. Moving myself into a sitting position, I increased the pressure of my lips. In the next second, we were holding each other so tightly that I felt as if we were two halves of the same person.  
  
****  
  
In the middle of kissing Chloe, I woke up. My heart was pounding and beads of sweat were forming on my temple. My world felt as if it had just been thrown completely off balance. What the hell just happened?  
  
Of course I dreamed about Chloe sometimes, everyone I knew had been in my dreams at least once. But I'd never dreamed of kissing Chloe like that. I felt like someone just slapped me. I mean Veronica was the one who I was supposed to be dreaming about. But that long kiss with Chloe had felt so real, my lips just ached thinking about it.  
  
Everyone knew dreams didn't really mean anything. I told myself. Just because I dreamed of kissing Chloe didn't mean I really wanted to kiss her. Sure we shared what people would call a romantic dance the other night before, and it was completely natural to have an innocent dream her.  
  
I splashed cold water on my face, decided I would go out and play a little basketball. Exercise was exactly what I needed. The dream about Chloe meant absolutely nothing.  
  
"Nothing at all," I said looking at my reflection in the mirror. "Zilch. Zero" ****  
  
"Yo, Black, how was the dance?" Shawn asked Monday morning.  
  
We were in the library, meeting about our report again.  
  
"The band sucked, but I managed to have an awesome time anyway."  
  
Shawn lifted an eyebrow. "That's funny, I've seen Radio Waves a few times, and I think they're pretty good."  
  
"To each his own." I opened my textbook. "By the way, Belle wasn't at the dance."  
  
Just as I thought, that remark took Shawn off of Michael and his stupid band. Shawn looked over at the library desk, and sure enough there was Belle on the computer.  
  
Shawn started getting up. "I just remembered, I forgot to return a book, I'll be back."  
  
I leaned in my chair to watch Shawn work. I just wished that he would hurry and ask her out already and put an end to his misery. After exchanging a few sentences, Shawn slouched back to our table.  
  
"Well? How'd it go?" I asked.  
  
"Horrible. I feel like a complete idiot around her." He put his head in his hands, but I saw him look through his fingers at Belle.  
  
*** "I haven't even been here a semester, and I'm already friends with the right people," Veronica said to me. We were sitting in my car.  
  
My stomach tightened in the uncomfortable way it always did when Veronica talked about her popularity. At first, I thought she just wanted to get to know more people. But now it was like she was obsessed. I'd even seen her be mean to people who weren't in the "in" crowd.  
  
"That's great," I said flatly. "Now your life is complete."  
  
Veronica nodded." And that's all thanks to you." She gazed at me. "Thank goodness I found you."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" I kept my voice light, but I felt hallow.  
  
"Well, since everyone likes you, they automatically like me. You're like my angel."  
  
Over the last few weeks, I'd been convincing myself that Veronica really loved me, and that I loved her. But the doubts I kept trying to push away were all coming back.  
  
Veronica had never really shown any interest in getting to know my friends, unless they happen to be cheerleaders or athletes. And whenever she told me how much she liked me, the word *popularity* always seemed to follow somewhere nearby. Basically, Veronica was using me as a trophy boyfriend.  
  
In a flash, I was hit by the knowledge that I was forcing myself to fall in love with Veronica to win that stupid bet with Chloe. And as much as Veronica was using me, I was basically doing the same.  
  
Veronica's voice interrupted my thoughts. " I think we're the cutest couple at Salem high, don't you?"  
  
I nodded mutely, feeling as though my whole world was crumbling around me.  
  
**** . Thursday night, Chloe and I were sitting in her den, watching an affair to remember. The movie was another of our favorites, and I felt relaxed for the first time since that talk with Veronica.  
  
Chloe was staring silently at the TV, and almost mechanically shoving popcorn in her mouth. Although I wasn't too thrilled that Chloe was probably going to rub my nose in the fact that I was probably going to lose the bet, I still wanted to talk to her about my problem with Veronica. After all, she was my best friend and knew a lot more about women than I did.  
  
"Chloe, I think Veronica is a social climber." I said  
  
"No kidding," She replied, sighing.  
  
"Well, I think that maybe I'm not as much in love with her as I thought."  
  
"Hmm," Chloe said absently.  
  
"Chloe? Are you listening to me?" I poked her shoulder.  
  
"Do you think that Michael is still in love with Kimberly?" she asked, instead of answering me.  
  
"Chloe, I just told you that I might not be in love with Veronica."  
  
She put down the popcorn and looked at me "The thing is, in creative writing today, the teacher called on Michael to read the poem he wrote."  
  
"So?" I asked.  
  
She frowned. "It was a love poem"  
  
"Please, Chloe, spare me the details." I wasn't in the mood to hear about Michael's stupid poem.  
  
"Brady, the poem wasn't about me."  
  
"What?" I had to admit that my curiosity was now piqued.  
  
"Well, the words were all about 'loss and separation, and cruel distance' as he put it." Chloe bit her lip.  
  
"And?" I knew this was leading up to something.  
  
"I think he wrote that poem for Kimberly, which would mean that he's really not in love me." I could have sworn I saw I tear in her eye.  
  
"The guy's a sleazebag. You'd be better off without him."  
  
A thought suddenly hit me. If Chloe broke up with Michael and I broke up with Veronica, then we'd still end up even in terms of our bet. Who knew? Maybe I'd even fall in love again before winter ball. Anything was possible.  
  
"Michael is not a sleazebag!" Chloe shouted. "Just shut up! You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Chloe was totally frustrating me right now. She'd just said herself that Michael was still into Kimberly, his ex-girlfriend. If that didn't qualify him as a sleazebag, what did?  
  
"Fine. What do you want me to say?"  
  
Chloe threw herself against the couch. "Kimberly is coming home for Thanksgiving. Do you think I should be worried?"  
  
"If you don't want me to tell you that Michael is a sleazebag, then I don't have anything to say to that."  
  
Chloe buried her head in the pillow. "Brady, do you think you could leave now? I really need to be alone." She turned off the TV and closed her eyes.  
  
Without saying goodbye, I stomped out. I'd wanted to have a serious conversation with her, and all she cared about was that wimp she called a boyfriend.  
  
As I sped home I started to see things in a new light. Sure, Veronica had a few problems, but who didn't? At least she was always happy to see me, and she never kicked me out of her house.  
  
I made a U-turn. In fact, Veronica would probably be happy to see me right now. 


	4. Ch 11 to 13

Ch. 11  
  
The day before thanksgiving, School let out early. After school, I found Michael at his locker with one of his friends. When I got closer, they both stopped talking and looked at me. " Are we still on for tomorrow?" I asked.  
  
"I wouldn't miss it," He answered, dropping a light kiss on my head.  
  
"See you at eight." I walked down the hall feeling better.  
  
If Michael wanted to spend time with Kimberly, then he wouldn't have agreed to come over to my house for thanksgiving. As Mimi had insisted, I was just being paranoid. ***  
  
It was Thursday evening, and my mom and I were setting the table. "So Brady's not coming over?" my mom asked.  
  
I shook my head. Brady usually came over on all major holidays, but this year we conveniently forgot about the tradition. Ever since our argument the week before, our friendship hadn't been the same.  
  
"Michael and Brady aren't really friends," I said.  
  
"That's too bad," my mother said. "You grandmother loves seeing Brady. He always makes her laugh."  
  
I shrugged. "Well, she should be happy to meet Michael. I mean he's the one who's *my* boyfriend."  
  
"Don't get so worked up honey. I'm sure your grandparents would love to meet Michael. I'm just saying they would love to see Brady also."  
  
"Maybe at Christmas mom"  
  
When the phone rang, I got a sinking feeling. I answered the phone in the kitchen.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Chloe," Michael said.  
  
"Hi, Michael." I forced myself to take a deep breath. Maybe he was just calling to see if he could bring something.  
  
"Listen, I won't be able to make it tonight."  
  
I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice. "That's too bad. Are your parents giving you a hard time or something?" I saw my mom looking at me.  
  
"Ah, yeah. You know how it is. My family is here and everything."  
  
"Yeah. I understand."  
  
"I'll call you later?"  
  
"Sure." I hung up the phone, and knew my mom was probably going to point out that Brady never cancelled on me last minute.  
  
But instead of saying anything to me, my mom walked out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready." She yelled.  
  
Sitting down, I poked at my food. Suddenly, I lost my appetite.  
  
When the doorbell rang, I jumped from the table and raced to the door. Maybe it was Michael and he talked his parents into letting him come over. Instead, I found Brady. He was holding a pumpkin pie.  
  
"Special delivery." He said stepping inside.  
  
Impulsively, I gave him a hug. I forgot that I could always count on Brady to improve my mood, even if I was set on being depressed.  
  
"Shouldn't you be taking this pie over to Veronica's?" I asked.  
  
He unzipped his jacket and pulled it off. " They went to new York to visit some friends. Besides, you don't think I'd let tradition slide, do you?"  
  
"Brady Black!" I heard my grandmother exclaim. "Is it snowing outside?"  
  
Brady walked over to my grandmother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It just started. Mother nature must have heard you were coming."  
  
As I've said before, Brady had this ability to put everyone at ease. And no matter how bad his jokes were, my grandmother always laughed.  
  
"You kids," she said. "I'm glad to see you here. Chloe's been moping around as if she'd just seen her last sunrise."  
  
Brady looked over at me and raised his eyebrows. I shrugged.  
  
"Don't just stand there with that dessert in your hands," My dad interrupted. "Go and get yourself a plate."  
  
As Brady headed into the kitchen, I went to sit at the table. All of a sudden, pumpkin pie sounded like the perfect remedy for my case of the blues.  
  
*** "Let's go for a walk in the snow," Brady said, an hour later.  
  
We were all sitting around the fireplace and we just finished the pumpkin pie Brady brought. My grandparents were taking a nap, and it looked as if my parents were about to do the same.  
  
Outside, the snow was everywhere, gleaming white. "Alright, let's go" I said, getting up. We grabbed our jackets and headed outside.  
  
For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. The snow was starting to come down lightly, and I felt warm and cozy in my big jacket.  
  
"Maybe we should have called Shawn," I said to break the silence.  
  
Brady shrugged." He probably wouldn't have come anyway. I think he's secretly spending his nights looking at pictures of Belle in the yearbook."  
  
"Why won't he just ask her out already?" I asked, kicking the snow.  
  
"He's says he doesn't want to tie himself down, but I think it's just that he's afraid of being rejected." I nodded.  
  
"Would you rather be with Michael right now?" Brady asked.  
  
I didn't answer right away. In the last hour and a half, I'd completely forgotten that Michael cancelled on me. Being with Brady seemed like the perfect way to enjoy the snow.  
  
"No, I'm glad I'm here with you," I said. "Why? Are you wishing you were with Veronica?"  
  
Brady scooped up a handful of snow and packed it into a ball. "Nah. Veronica's not much fun to throw snowballs at!"  
  
As Brady threw a snowball at me, I heard his laugh ring into the night. The snowball hit me right in the face, and I squealed loudly. Right away I scooped as much snow as I could, and I ran over to where Brady was laughing and dumped the snow down his back.  
  
He screamed, trying to shake it out of his jacket. "This is war!" he cried out.  
  
For the next fifteen minutes, we acted like lunatics, throwing snowballs and tackling each other. During the whole battle, I was laughing so much that my sides hurt.  
  
Finally we collapsed next to each other on the snow-covered ground. I was exhausted and needed to catch my breath. I turned to Brady," That was fun, but I think it's time to seek shelter in the form of hot chocolate."  
  
Minutes later we stood in my kitchen, breathless. We were both peeling off our boots, socks and sweaters.  
  
Everyone else in the house was asleep, so I went to the laundry room and found a pair of my dad's sweats and a sweatshirt for Brady to borrow. Then I went to my room to change. By the time we sat down with our hot chocolate next to the glowing fireplace, we were both warm and dry.  
  
Out of nowhere, Brady let out a deep sigh.  
  
"What was that for?" I asked.  
  
"I don't know. I was just thinking that tonight really seems like a perfect night for romance."  
  
I stared into the fire, wondering if Michael was snuggled with Kimberly somewhere.  
  
"Yeah." I whispered. "I know what you mean."  
  
When Brady turned to me, his eyes looked so dark. He inched closer to me, then wound a few strands of my hair around his finger. My heart started beating quickly, and I felt all those confused emotions that I felt homecoming dance flood back to me.  
  
"You know that song?" he asked quietly.  
  
I shook my head, unable to tear my eyes away from his. "What song?"  
  
"If you can't be with the one you love."  
  
"Love the one your with," I finished. My eyes dropped to his lips, and I felt mesmerized.  
  
Brady put one hand at the back of my head and gently pulled my closer. I closed my eyes, wanting to fell his lips on mine.  
  
As soon as I felt his kiss, a liquid fire spread through me. Without thinking, I clutched at the fabric of his sweatshirt, trying to pull him closer, not wanting him to let go. The fireworks that I wanted to feel with Michael finally went off. Every inch of my skin was alive and felt like it was on fire. The outside world vanished, and Brady was the only thing - living or dead - that existed on the planet.  
  
A moment later he pulled away.  
  
As soon as it was over, I felt humiliation wave over me. Had we really did that? Had I just kissed Brady, my best friend in the whole world? A million questions raced through my mind.  
  
"Wow, I don't think that was such a great idea." He said, raking his fingers through his hair.  
  
My sense of bewilderness was replaced with anger. "Why did you do that?" I hissed at him.  
  
"What do you mean me?" he asked. "You were here, too."  
  
"Well, it was your idea. Don't deny it." I was trying to keep my voice calm, but I felt like screaming.  
  
Brady glared at me." Well, it was obviously a very bad idea," he said punching the sofa.  
  
"You just can't stand the fact that there's one girl who won't want to go out with you," I said.  
  
"Please, don't flatter yourself Chloe. It'll never happen again."  
  
"Good!" I crossed my arms in front of my chest.  
  
"Good!" he said standing up. "Tell your dad thanks for the clothes and I'll return them as soon as I can."  
  
"Don't do us any favors," I said stalking to the front door.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't " He grabbed his wet jacket and yanked it on.  
  
"Fine by me." I opened the door and stared at him. My hands were trembling, and I felt really close to breaking down in tears.  
  
"Give your grandparents my regards," Brady said.  
  
Then he stepped out into the snowy night, and I slammed the door behind him. The day had been the worst day of my life, and all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep.  
  
As I listened to Brady start his car and back out, the tears I'd been holding in started rolling down my cheeks. I stumbled into my room, choking on sobs that felt like they would never stop.  
  
Once again I'd gone and made a huge mess out of my life. "Why me?" I whispered. "Why me?"  
  
Ch. 12  
  
When I opened my eyes Friday morning, I knew there was something wrong. It only took me a few moments to put together the disastrous events of the previous night. Then I remembered kissing Chloe.  
  
I groaned, lightly knocking my head against the wall above my bed. In one swoop, I'd broken the cardinal rule of platonic friendship. Now Chloe hated me, and there was nothing I could do about it.  
  
I replayed the scene over and over in my mind. Why'd did I kiss her? What made me do it? Was it the snow? The fireplace? I shook my head. The reasons were too painful to contemplate - not to mention irrelevant. I'd screwed up a good thing, and no amount of rationalization was going to change that.  
  
There was also the matter of Veronica. Technically speaking, I'd cheated on her. Even if kissing Chloe had taken place a moment of temporary insanity, there was no denying that the kiss had taken place - not that Rebecca would ever find out.  
  
Another question plagued me. If Rebecca did find out about the kiss, would she care? Sure, her ego would go down a bit and her pride will be hurt, but would she truly be upset or just angry? She promised to call from New York, but I haven't heard anything from hear yet. Was she with an old boyfriend?  
  
The idea that she might be with another guy was oddly comforting. I mean, I wasn't ecstatic about the image of my girlfriend getting hot and heavy with another guy, but it did release a little of my guilt. I was still young, we make mistakes right? Right.  
  
Having solved that issue, my thoughts shifted from Veronica back to Chloe. But before I could think of anything else, my mom knocked on my bedroom door.  
  
"Brady? Are you awake?" she called.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes." I rolled back on my stomach.  
  
"Chloe's downstairs."  
  
"She is?" I quickly sat up and jumped out of bed. "Give me two minutes and then send her up."  
  
I hopped around the room, trying to put on my jeans and comb my hair at the same time. The door opened as I was pulling on my shirt.  
  
"Can I convince you to give your former best friend a moment of your time?" she asked.  
  
Right away the sick feeling I'd had suddenly disappeared. Chloe's voice sounded friendly, and I knew everything would be all right. "Only if you take out that 'former' from the question." I said opening the door for her.  
  
Chloe plopped down on my chair. "I didn't get much sleep last night."  
  
"Me neither. I felt like I had just came face to face with the apocalypse." I said leaning back on my bed.  
  
"We can't let this ruin our friendship. We just overreacted."  
  
"I couldn't agree more."  
  
In the light of day, it didn't seem like a really big deal. We'd kissed. Sure it was a kiss that I would never forget, but one kiss could hardly end the world. After all, it wasn't like we committed a crime or anything.  
  
"I mean, if we actually *enjoyed * kissing each other, then we would have a problem, "Chloe said interrupting my thoughts.  
  
I nodded, wondering where she going with this.  
  
"But if you really think about it, this whole scenario was almost a good thing," She paused for a second. "I mean, here we are two friends who are the opposite sex and it's natural that we have a certain amount of curiosity towards each other. "  
  
"Curiosity," I repeated, letting her know I was listening.  
  
"Yeah. So know that we got that kiss out of the way, we can just forget about it. We now know that we never want to kiss again. End of story."  
  
I was a little upset that she could dismiss our kiss that easily. For me, the experience had been like I was shooting through space, holding onto a rocket ship. When I'd finally pulled away, it took me a couple of seconds to realize that gravity still existed. I couldn't deny that she excited me- to a very dangerous level.  
  
But I wasn't going to argue. At that point, I would have agreed if she told me the world was flat. I just wanted to make up and move on. "End of story," I confirmed.  
  
Chloe gave me hug, which I returned. "I'm glad that is solved." She said as if she was referring to a small argument over who had to take out the trash.  
  
I gave her a smile. "Me too, Chloe. I'm sure now we'll both sleep better tonight."  
  
"Oh yes. Thankfully."  
  
I leaned back on my pillows, feeling relief wash over me. My world wasn't going to crumble after all, and I couldn't have been more grateful.  
  
****  
  
I had butterflies in my stomach as I drove to Veronica's house Sunday evening. She'd called me when she got back from New York.  
  
By Sunday, the temperature in Salem was still below freezing. So when Veronica suggested we go ice-skating at the park, I thought it was a great idea. I imagined us holding hands skating in circles, and forgetting about everything else. Afterward, we'd go to her house and drink hot chocolate, or maybe hot cider would be a better idea, and cuddle on the couch.  
  
When I arrived at her house, Veronica opened the door almost immediately. Before I could even say hello, she twirled around.  
  
"Ta-da! Do you like my new skating outfit?" she asked.  
  
"Wow." I said. She was wearing a short pink skating dress. To be honest, everyone I knew just skated in jeans and sweaters.  
  
"Let's get going. Everyone will be there soon." She practically skipped to the car. I didn't exactly know who she meant by 'everyone', and I knew I wasn't going to like it once I did find out.  
  
Once in my jeep, I kissed Veronica. I wasn't flying through space at the speed of light, and I felt slightly disappointed. I kissed harder, trying to forget about my kiss with Chloe. After a few minutes, I decided that the explosion I felt with Chloe was just because I missed Veronica. I was just releasing pent- up emotions. Yeah, that was it. I mean there were lots of psychological explanations.  
  
Veronica giggled. "I've only been gone for four days," She said,  
  
"We'd better go," I said.  
  
The parking lot at the park was half full, and I recognized a few cars that were there. Suddenly I had a feeling who "everyone" was.  
  
"The whole gang is here!" Veronica squealed happily.  
  
"You didn't tell me that half of Salem high would be here," I said, getting annoyed.  
  
"Isn't it great? I'm so excited to see everyone" She ran ahead.  
  
A few seconds later I hear Veronica squeal. I saw her hugging Jan and Cynthia like they was her long lost sisters. I almost gagged. I thought both girls were superficial and stupid at best, and both backstabbing and manipulative at worst.  
  
Veronica tugged me toward the skating area. As I saw Jeffrey, Hawk, and Philip Kiriakis, my dreams of romance evaporated. My opinion of Jeffrey hadn't changed since the day of his party, when I'd seen an almost indecent embrace with Michael. And I * absolutely * hated Philip Kiriakis.  
  
Philip had a thing for Chloe our sophomore year of high school. She went out with him once, detested him, and never wanted to speak to him ever again. After that, Philip had taken it to himself to be incredibly cruel to Chloe at school. When Chloe didn't respond to his baiting, Philip wrote graffiti about her on the walls in the boy's bathroom. When I caught him in the act, it led to one of the biggest fistfight I've ever had. The next year, Philip switched schools and his parents moved to another district, and I've been able to avoid him ever since. And Chloe, by the way, never found out about the fight.  
  
I put on my skates telling myself that maybe Philip grew up and became a human being. As long as I could be nice to him, we wouldn't have an ugly scene.  
  
Veronica was already on the ice, skating around. I took a few breaths and joined her, determined to keep my cool.  
  
I took her hand and we skated around. Ignoring the presence of Philip Kiriakis, I actually started to enjoy myself.  
  
"This is so romantic," Veronica said, looking up into the sky.  
  
I did a quick hockey stop when I saw Philip out of the corner of my eye. He was headed straight for us with a smirk on his face. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to calm down.  
  
"Hey Philip," I said. "Do you know Veronica?"  
  
His eyes traveled over her body, and gave her a smile. "Nice to meet you Veronica."  
  
She gave him a flirtatious smile. "How come I've never met you before?"  
  
"I don't go to Salem High. I moved awhile back, but I like to keep in touch with old friends." Philip looked at me, and I could tell that he was dying to tell me something.  
  
I took Veronica's hand, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. "Shall we pick up where we left off?" I asked her, nodding bye to Philip.  
  
At that moment, Philip put his hand on my shoulder stopping me. " Speaking of old friends, I heard that our mutual sweetheart, Chloe Lane, is going out with Michael Hensen."  
  
I saw Veronica narrow her eyes. Philip made it sound like Chloe and I were an item. But I didn't feel like pushing the point. "Uh, Yeah. They're totally in love." I said, satisfied to see his sneer turn into a frown.  
  
"Well, maybe you could pass a message from me to her." He said.  
  
"And what's that?" I could feel my muscles tense up.  
  
"I saw Michael and Kimberly look very friendly in dotcom the other night. In fact they were making out in the corner. " He grinned, then laughed.  
  
"You're lying"  
  
"I couldn't care less you believe me, Black. But you should tell your friend that Michael was just using her to get Kimberly back."  
  
I was shaking with anger, and I couldn't stop myself from stepping closer to Philip. Whether he was telling the truth or not, I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.  
  
"You're just jealous cause Chloe wouldn't go out with your pathetic self." I said angrily.  
  
"Chloe's a loser," Philip said. "Ask anyone."  
  
Then veronica decided to share her thoughts. "He does have a point, Brady. Everyone knows that Chloe is a little. strange."  
  
"Thanks for your opinion Veronica. But no one asked for it, and this is between Philip and me."  
  
"Want to fight, Black?" Philip asked.  
  
"No, cause you're not worth it," I answered back. I noticed that Hawk and Jeffrey skated close to us.  
  
While I was looking away, Philip seized his opportunity. Out of nowhere, his fist hit me squarely in the jaw. I fell back, with a groan.  
  
"Chloe's the greatest girl I know," I shouted at him. "She puts any girlfriend you could get to shame."  
  
As I tried to get back up, Philip lunged. But before he could take another punch, Jeffrey and Hawk grabbed him.  
  
"I think this skating party is over," Hawk said. They hauled Philip off of the ice.  
  
I stood up, furious. As I shifted my eyes from Philip, I saw Veronica glaring at me.  
  
"If you like Chloe so much, maybe you should go out with her!" She yelled. " You two deserve each other."  
  
I just stared at Veronica. When I didn't say anything she gave me a cold smile. "We're over."  
  
I saw her untie her skates, and jog over to the parking lot. "Philip, wait up" I heard her yell.  
  
I sank back down to the ice, too tired to move. I was sad that Veronica broke up with me, but I knew it was doomed from the start. She's always had more in common with Jan and Cynthia; now I could see how superficial she really was.  
  
I gazed around the now empty pond shaking my head. "I guess this mean I lost the bet," I said aloud.  
  
Ch. 13  
  
When Mimi and I were walking into our creative writing class Monday morning, I was nervous. I hadn't talked to Michael since Thanksgiving night, when he cancelled on me. I'd spent most of the time telling myself that he had a good reason for not calling.  
  
Still, my hands were trembling. The pessimistic Chloe had burst through. I almost expected him to be wearing I sign that said, " I was making out with Kimberly"  
  
"I'm sure he was just busy," Mimi said. "Besides, Kimberly has nothing on you."  
  
"Thanks, Meems." I said.  
  
When we sat down in our seats, there was no sign of Michael. I kept my eye on the door.  
  
Five minutes after the bell rang, Michael walked in the door. He smiled an apology to the teacher and slid into the seat near the door. I tried to catch his eye, but he kept his focus on the handout the teacher passed out.  
  
For the next half hour, I forced myself not to look over where Michael was sitting. It's over, I repeated to myself. He's still in love with Kimberly.  
  
When Mimi tapped me on the shoulder, I nearly jumped out my chair. She handed me a note and nodded her head in Michael's direction.  
  
My pulse was racing. The note read: "Chloe. Meet me right after school? Love, Michael."  
  
I looked up and saw that he was watching me. I nodded and gave a small smile. Maybe he didn't want to break up. For now, I had to hope for the best.  
  
***** "I can't talk long," I said to Michael, opening the passenger- side of his car. " I have to baby-sit Abby in half an hour.  
  
He looked as handsome as ever, in a black sweater and jaded jeans. His eyes were bright. He looks happy to see me. I said to myself.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't call you this weekend," He said softly.  
  
I shrugged, trying to act like I hadn't noticed. " That's ok. I've been pretty busy anyway."  
  
Michael nodded. "Yea, I was pretty busy too."  
  
I decided to look fear in the face. "So, did you see Kimberly this weekend?" I asked casually." I heard see was in town"  
  
He bit his lip and looked a little guilt. "Uh, yeah. That's kind of way I was so busy."  
  
"Oh." There was nothing more I could say. Like a fool, I didn't get out of the car. I just sat in stunned silence, waiting for him to say something.  
  
"She didn't meet anyone at her school. And she really missed me. and I guess I missed her too."  
  
"Oh," I said again. Tears were threatening to spill out, and I blinked rapidly. I wasn't about to let Michael see how humiliated I was.  
  
"We decided to try a long-distance relationship," He continued. "It's not that I don't love you. I think you're great. But Kim and I- it's like we're destined to be together."  
  
I swallowed hard and sat up straight. " I think that's great." I said. Amazingly, my voice sounded smooth and natural.  
  
"It is?" He asked surprised.  
  
"Yes. Because there's something I wanted to tell you too." I said.  
  
"There is?" He sounded surprise again. His eyebrows were raised and he was looking me straight in the eye.  
  
"Yeah. This weekend Brady and I realized we were in love." Even as I was saying it, I couldn't believe it was coming from my mouth. Sorry Brady, I thought silently.  
  
"Oh." I felt satisfied that Michael seemed slightly off balance.  
  
"Isn't this great?" I said lightly. "We're both lucky that we don't have to hurt the other person."  
  
"Yeah." Michael agreed, looking confused.  
  
"I guess I'll see ya around." I gave him a peck on the cheek, and then jumped out his car.  
  
"Bye Chloe."  
  
"Bye. Michael." I said slamming the door behind me.  
  
It wasn't until he pulled out the parking lot that I felt the tears I was holding in, spill over my cheeks.  
  
*** Usually I loved baby-sitting Abby. But that afternoon all I wanted to do was go home. She was asking me all these questions about boy-girl relationships, and I really didn't feel like talking about that subject.  
  
"My friend's having a party this weekend.' She said.  
  
"That's nice" I responded vacantly.  
  
"And she's having boys." Abby continued. She seemed to be waiting for my response.  
  
"How exciting." I realized I wasn't being very fair to Abby, and I felt really guilty when I saw a little hint or hurt in her eyes. "I'm sorry Abby," I said, hugging her. "I'm sure you'll have a great time."  
  
Abby was young, but not dumb. She knew something was wrong with me. "What's wrong Chloe?"  
  
I shrugged, fighting my tears. "Michael and I broke up. I guess I'm just not feeling too cheery."  
  
"I didn't like Michael anyway." She said.  
  
"You never even knew him," I pointed out.  
  
"I know. But Brady told me about him."  
  
"And exactly what did Brady say?"  
  
"He said that Michael's a wimp and the you deserved better."  
  
I almost laughed. Since when did Brady discuss my love life with a ten-year old? " Brady shouldn't have said that. Who I go out with isn't his business. Or yours."  
  
"He's right though. Wasn't he?" She looked at me, her eyes wide.  
  
"Yeah," I said. "I guess he was."  
  
**** I stood outside of the Black's door, shivering because of the cold.  
  
"Chloe!" The second Brady saw me, he pulled me into a big hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
I wiped my tears. "How did you know?"  
  
"From the expression on your face I could tell that either someone died or you broke up with Michael. And since I just talked to your mom who sounded just fine, I made an educated guess."  
  
I threw myself on his sofa. "I feel terrible."  
  
"I know how you feel." He sat down next to me. I looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Veronica dumped me on Sunday." He said, his voice neutral.  
  
"Why?" This news was shocking and it made me forget my own misery for a second.  
  
"Who knows?" He slumped back on the sofa.  
  
"I never liked her." I said.  
  
"And I never liked Michael."  
  
"Um, Speaking of Michael, I kind of told him something stupid." I decided I might as well confess now. He was bound to find out anyway.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Promise you won't get mad."  
  
"What? Tell me." His voice was impatient.  
  
"Well, I was totally humiliated about Michael and Kimberly getting back together."  
  
"And?" Brady pressed.  
  
"And to save face, I kind of said that you and I were in love." I stared at him and waited for his anger. To my surprise, he laughed.  
  
"Who cares?" He said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sure. People always say we're in love. In a week, we could just tell people that we decided that we would be better as friends instead."  
  
I smiled. "You're right!"  
  
Brady nodded. " And I can't wait for the look on Veronica's face. It'll be a Kodak moment!" 


	5. Ch 14 to 16

Ch. 14  
  
I saw Veronica flirting with Hawk in the hall today. And guess what? I didn't feel anything. Well expect pity for him. But I was actually a little hurt. Did I really not mean anything to her? But then again, did she really mean anything to me? Maybe Chloe was right, I really don't know anything about love.  
  
****  
  
It was Friday night and Chloe and I were drowning our sorrows over some mocha chip ice cream at the local ice cream place. Shawn was with us, but he wasn't saying much. He was just swirling his ice cream like his future was written in it. The three of us were a pretty gloomy group.  
  
"You know what your problem is, Chloe Lane?" I asked,  
  
"Yeah, the fact that you are always asking me what my problem is." She responded automatically. We'd had about millions of conversations that started this way.  
  
"Wrong. Your problem is that you fall in love to easy."  
  
"This coming from the guy who dared me to fall in love. What a hypocrite."  
  
"I'm older and wiser now," I responded. "And I have decided that love is now strictly off-limits."  
  
She licked her ice cream spoon." I think I have an idea that might make you just say yes to love again."  
  
I licked some more ice cream off my spoon. " I highly doubt it, but try me."  
  
"You should ask Mimi out." She said looking proud of herself.  
  
"Mimi Lockhart?" I asked surprised. I knew Mimi had a small crush on me, but I never thought about asking her out. I mean, she was Chloe's best friend, next to me. The idea of going out with her was just.. weird.  
  
"Of course Mimi Lockhart. She's pretty, smart, and really cool."  
  
I shook my head. " I think I'll stay on my own for now."  
  
At that point, Shawn looked up from his ice cream. " I agree with Chloe. What do you have to lose?"  
  
I stared at him. "This coming from a guy who'd been dateless the entire semester."  
  
"That's different." He said.  
  
"Why?" I looked at him, and I could tell Chloe was getting curious too.  
  
He licked his spoon. "Because I am going to ask Belle out soon."  
  
I rolled my eyes at him. " Yeah, right. Just like you were going to ask her out the other hundreds of times for the past two months."  
  
Shawn actually blushed a little. "I was just making sure that I wanted to ask her out, that's all."  
  
"You are such a liar. You just haven't asked her out because your scared she'll say no."  
  
Shawn stood up. " Think whatever you want. Just Take Chloe's advice and go on a date with Mimi. Trust me, staying home on a Friday night is no fun." He headed for the door.  
  
" I gotta go. I'll catch you guys later."  
  
"Here. Finish this." Chloe said pushing her nearly empty ice cream dish towards me.  
  
I spooned up the rest and savored its taste. " How about we hang out at your house and check what's on TV?" I asked.  
  
"Good idea." Chloe said. She got up and gathered her coat. As I helped her slip on her coat, I caught a glimpse of us in the mirror that hung on the wall by the booth.  
  
We were both smiling, and I noticed that we looked like every other pair in the ice cream place. If I didn't known any better, I would've thought we were the ultimate high school couple, young and in love.  
  
***  
  
Two and a half hours later, in Chloe's den, Chloe turned off the TV, sighing. We'd just watched 'The Philadelphia Story' and she had this dreamy expression on her face. Despite her hard - edged exterior, she was a real sucker for romance.  
  
"Do you think a guy could love me like Jimmy Stewart loved Katharine Hepburn in that movie?" she asked.  
  
"That's a dumb question," I answered.  
  
"Why? Because you know there's no way a guy could ever love me like that?" she asked sadly.  
  
Chloe stretched out on the couch, and her claves were resting on my lap.  
  
"No, Chlo. Because I'm positive that there are dozens of guys who could and will love you like that."  
  
She smiled. "Really? You think so?"  
  
"Chloe, you're the most awesome chick in the world. Any guy would have to be crazy not to fall in love with you."  
  
She sat up, then reached out and her arms around me. I returned the hug, glad she was smiling. "I'm so glad you're my best friend," She said.  
  
"Not as half as I am." I responded and I hugged her even tighter.  
  
"You know I love you, right?" she whispered.  
  
"I love you too, always."  
  
Chloe and I always told each other we loved each other, but we both knew that there was the ""as a friend" attached to the end of the sentence.  
  
Chloe tilted her head and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I moved my head, responding with a kiss on her cheek. Then she gave me a kiss on the other side of my face. And I gave her a kiss on the other side of her face. We went on and on like that, until we reached like twenty kisses.  
  
Finally, when I went to kiss her cheek, my lips accidentally -on- purpose landed on her mouth. Rather than turn away, I gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Which she returned. Suddenly I found myself kissing her over and over, wanting more and more. It was like a drug and I couldn't stop.  
  
Chloe responded, parting her lips beneath mine. My fingers were tangled in her soft hair, and one of her hands were in my hair, while the other was clutching my shirt. I lost track of time, suspended in the burning, electric sensations shooting throughout my body. I felt as if we were one person, two halves of a whole.  
  
With a start, Chloe pulled away. She bolted up, then collapsed in the chair next to her fireplace. Without warning, she burst into tears. She covered her face, weeping softly.  
  
A feeling of helplessness came over me. I stood up and I tried to murmur soothing words while holding and comforting her.  
  
After a minute or so, she looked up at me and started talking. "With Michael. kiss.. Never. felt..I don't.. "  
  
I could only understand a few of the words out of her mouth, but I knew she probably was just upset about Michael. It was clear that kissing me reminded her of the guy who left her in the cold.  
  
"Chloe, look, don't worry. Everything will be ok." I said, not really knowing if that was true or not.  
  
"It is?" she asked through her tears.  
  
I nodded. "Listen, we both just broke up with people we thought we loved and we're just upset. And we turned to each other. Nothing between us will change."  
  
"You're right," She said, wiping her tears. "I'm just upset about Michael."  
  
She seemed to regain her composure. I was glad, but I was still taken aback that all she could think about was that wimp. I, for one, thought that our kisses were out of this world, explosive, so amazing I can't even explain. Still, I played my best-friend role so well that I should have got an Oscar.  
  
"We're friends. Just like always." I said firmly.  
  
She smiled. "Friends." She repeated.  
  
"It's the best word in the English language." I said.  
  
Chloe looked down. " Yeah." she said quietly to herself. "I'm just upset about Michael. that's all."  
  
All of a sudden, I had a strong need to get away from Chloe and her whining about Michael. I wanted to get home, I needed to think.  
  
"Well, I guess we both lost our bet," I said, desperately trying to get our conversation to a close.  
  
"You got that right." Chloe's voice was a combination of sad and amused, but her expression was blank.  
  
To be honest, I didn't know what to make of the entire situation.  
  
*** All the way home, I couldn't get Chloe's wails about Michael out of my head. I could not understand what she saw in the guy, other than his male- model face.  
  
But by the time I was undressed and lying in bed, one fact was stuck in my mind: I was irritated by Chloe's pining over Michael. Frankly, it was insulting.  
  
Staring up at the ceiling, I thought of all the girls I've kissed and gone out with. Veronica was the only girl that I've gone out with that made a move to break up. But even with her, I knew she only broke up with me out of pride. She was mad that I defended Chloe, and she lashed out. Although I didn't mention this to Chloe, I was pretty sure Veronica would have taken me back if I'd asked. All week she'd been sending me smoldering looks.  
  
But I didn't want to go back with Veronica. I just wanted Chloe to realize how many girls would have loved to be in her shoes that night. And none of them would have broke into tears after. Quite the opposite.  
  
I sat up and punched my pillow. I needed to quit mooning over Chloe and take action. The fact that I'd kissed Chloe and that's I was obsessing over her obsession with Michael, showed that I had way too much time on my hands. As soon as I asked another girl out, everything would be back to normal.  
  
In a flash, I remembered that Chloe suggested I ask Mimi out. Before that moment, I had no intention of asking her out. But if Chloe wanted me to, then maybe I would. If nothing else, it would prove that while she's still pining over that wimp I was moving on with my life. And she certainly wouldn't have to worry about getting any more kisses from me. I'd learned my lesson.  
  
I closed my eyes. First thing in the morning, I would call Mimi. I would go out with her and have a good time.. even if it killed me.  
  
CH. 15  
  
I spent most of my Saturday morning wandering around the house. My parents had gone out and the house was so quiet. I was going to baby-sit Abby later, but until then, I had nothing else to do. I realized that I must be in a pretty bad state if all I was looking forward to was an evening with a ten-year-old.  
  
Around noon, I sat on my computer to work on some of my homework. But my fingers never moved. I had nothing to say. Thoughts of the night before swirled in my mind. I wanted so desperately to get it out.  
  
When the doorbell rang, I practically raced down the stairs. At that point I would be happy to talk to the door salesman. Anything to keep my mind off of things.  
  
I immediately brightened when I saw Mimi at the door. I decided I should tell her about what happened with Brady.  
  
"I've got some news that you will never believe," she said as soon as I opened the door.  
  
"What? Are we being invaded by aliens?" I responded, letting her in.  
  
"Aliens are nothing compared to this." She said, her eyes bright.  
  
We walked into the kitchen and I grabbed some soda fro the refrigerator. "Well, don't keep in suspense! Tell me already."  
  
She popped open her soda can. "Well, this morning, I was just minding my own business, not really expecting out of the ordinary to happen. Nothing."  
  
"Get to the point already Meems," I said, interrupting her.  
  
"Brady asked me out, for tonight."  
  
I coughed, chocking on my soda. "What? Are you serious?"  
  
She nodded. "I'm totally serious. We're going out to dinner."  
  
"Wow." I felt like I'd just been punched.  
  
Mimi looked at me with her eyes wide. "You don't care, do you? I mean, I just figured you just put in a good word for me."  
  
I forced a smile. "Of course I don't care. It's just that he didn't mention it that's all."  
  
"You look kind of green," Mimi said, studying me.  
  
"Hey, you guys would make a great couple. I'm just so happy, I'm speechless."  
  
Mimi grinned. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. So, can I borrow something to wear?"  
  
"We'll find something for you. When Brady see you, he will forget all about Veronica."  
  
Despite all my words, I felt empty. It was true that it was my idea for Brady to ask Mimi out, but I never thought he would actually do it.  
  
One was for sure, though, I couldn't tell Mimi about kissing Brady. They would probably just laugh about it over dinner. " Poor Chloe," They would say, " She'll never get a good boyfriend"  
  
I shuddered. There was no way that I could let them know that I was upset that they were going out.  
  
"Let's go up to my room," I said, standing up.  
  
"Thanks Chloe. I knew I could count on you to help me out." She gave me a hug and her face was beaming.  
  
Once we were in my room, I started looking through my closet. I pulled out a light blue, thin strapped dress and held it up to Mimi. "Try this on," I said.  
  
Once she had it on, she asked, " How does it look?"  
  
"Great." It looked decidedly better on her than on me. "In fact, you could have it. The cut works better on you."  
  
Mimi spun in front of the mirror. " But do you think Brady will like it?"  
  
"Definitely."  
  
Mimi sat down on my desk chair, "I'm sort of nervous," she confessed.  
  
"You shouldn't be. You're way cooler than anyone Brady has ever dated."  
  
Suddenly Mimi sat up straight. " You know Brady better than anyone else. Do you have any tips on how I could get him to like me?"  
  
I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. How could I put everything I knew about Brady in just a few meaningless phrases? In my mind, I went over all the little details about Brady. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.  
  
"He hates too much ketchup on his hamburger, especially if there's a lot of tomatoes. Don't tell him you think your fat. He doesn't care if you sing in the car, even if you sound like a cow mooing. He likes impersonations. If you can't tell who he's trying to imitate, assume its Elvis. When a little muscle next to his eye twitches, he's trying not to show you he's angry."  
  
Now that I started I just couldn't stop. I felt like I opened the floodgates of a dam. Mimi was watching me, in silence. She seemed to be listening, so I continued.  
  
"Blue is his favorite color. He's a closet fan of opera. At night he listens to old slow songs to help him sleep. He hates girls who are superficial, although you'd never know that from looking at his last girlfriend. He's funniest when."  
  
"Chloe, are you ok?" Mimi asked suddenly. She was holding up her hand, signaling me to stop.  
  
I had forgotten she was there. "What? Oh, I'm sorry. I guess that was way more information about Brady than you wanted to know."  
  
Mimi bit her lip, then glanced up at me. "You're in love with Brady, aren't you?" She asked quietly, but every word hammered into my brain.  
  
"What?" I gasped out. I grabbed a pillow and held it tight to my chest.  
  
Mimi raised her eyebrows. " You heard me. I think you're in love with Brady Black."  
  
"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard." I said, averting my gaze. "Don't be silly."  
  
"Chloe, the way you talk about him.. It's like.. "  
  
"I'm not in love with Brady. End of discussion." I knew my voice strained, but I couldn't help it.  
  
"If you're sure."  
  
"Of course I'm sure. Now take the dress and go get ready. I have to go somewhere."  
  
Minute later I closed the door behind Mimi. I stood motionless in the hall. ' I am not in love with Brady' I told myself. As I kept repeating that in my head, I almost believed that it was true.  
  
****  
  
Saturday night Abby was so hyper I practically had to drag her to bed. She'd been to that boy- girl party she was telling me about the night before. She seemed determined to tell me every detail of the party.  
  
"Then Andrew Ross put ice down my back," she said, after reluctantly putting her nightgown on.  
  
"So what did you do?" I started to brush her hair.  
  
"First I screamed, then I got him back. Everyone was laughing so much, that we thought we would pee in our pants." She giggled.  
  
As I worked the brush through her hair, I waited for her to continue.  
  
"There's more Chloe!" she said enthusiastically.  
  
"There's more?" Despite my bad mood, I couldn't help but smile at Abby. She was way too cute for her own good.  
  
She nodded. "I'll only tell you if you don't tell my mom and dad." She said.  
  
"I promise."  
  
She turned around to look at me and I could tell she was about to burst with her secret.  
  
"We played spin the bottle!"  
  
"No way!" I tried my hardest to sound shocked. I was sure she was waiting for some dramatic reaction.  
  
"Yep! But the boys were so gross, and I thought I was going to barf."  
  
"Who'd ya have to kiss?" I asked.  
  
"Andrew Ross! Yuck!" She scrunched up her nose.  
  
I laughed. "Don't worry, you'll live. You might even want to kiss him again someday."  
  
She shook her head. "No way. Not in a million years."  
  
"Well, if you say so," I said lightly. I finished tucking her in, and went to switch the light off.  
  
"Hey, Chloe?" Abby asked, as I was about to switch the lights off.  
  
"Yeah?" I asked.  
  
"Do you think I'll end up marrying Andrew Ross? Since we kissed?"  
  
"Yeah. And then you'll live happily ever after." I turned the light off, and I hoped that she didn't notice the bitterness in my voice.  
  
I left the room and headed downstairs. I hadn't had the heart to tell her that after fifth grade, romance went downhill. She'd find out soon enough.  
  
Once I was downstairs, I turned on the TV and grabbed some cookies. As I fiercely bit the cookie, I told myself that I hoped Brady and Mimi were having a good time. I really hoped they were having the time of their lives.  
  
After an hour of TV, I was bored, irritated, and overwhelmed with curiosity. Checking my watch, I realized that Mimi had to be home by now. How long could dinner take anyway?  
  
Mimi's phone rang three times before her mom answered. If Mimi had been home, then I knew her mom wouldn't have bothered to pick up at all. Blindly, I put the receiver back in its place.  
  
Mimi wasn't home yet, which meant that she and Brady were still on their date. The date had obviously been a success. Now there would be more dates. And more. Soon they'd be holding hands in public places. And I'd be the third wheel, alone and unwanted.  
  
There was no way that I could having Brady tell me how much he liked Mimi, or what they did together on dates. I don't think our friendship could take that much pressure. But I wasn't about to stand in the way of his happiness- or Mimi's.  
  
"I'll make a clean break," I said to myself. "It'll be the best for everyone."  
  
Ch. 16  
  
"Isn't that Chloe's dress?" I asked Mimi.  
  
She looked down, smiling. "Yeah. She gave it to me."  
  
"Why?" I knew I was being kind of rude, but I couldn't image why Chloe would give away her light blue dress. It was one of my favorites, and I couldn't help but notice how much better it looked on Chloe.  
  
"I guess she was tired of wearing it," Mimi shrugged.  
  
"She just frustrates me so much," I said, as if Mimi wasn't even there.  
  
We were sitting at Tuscany, and my head felt as if it were about to explode. I'd made all the way through half the dinner without mentioning Chloe's name, making a big effort to be attentive. I really tried to see if Mimi could be someone I could date, but I knew a romance with her would be a lost cause. In my eyes, she was Chloe's friend. I thought she was a cool person, but whenever I saw her, I saw Chloe. Now I was letting myself talk about what had been on my mind the whole day - Chloe Lane.  
  
"I assume we're talking about Chloe now?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I think you frustrate her too," She said, very seriously.  
  
"I just love her so much" I said absently.  
  
"She loves you, too" Mimi said sighing.  
  
"Really?" I said looking up.  
  
"Yes, really." Mimi paused. "And to think, I actually thought we were going on a date tonight. Looks like what you need is a therapist." She laughed to herself.  
  
Suddenly, I felt like a real jerk. "I'm really sorry, Mimi. I didn't mean to go on and on about Chloe. Why don't we talk about something else? What college do you want to go to?"  
  
She laughed softly. "Brady, don't pretend that you're really interested in what college I want to go to. Frankly, you're not that good an actor."  
  
"Am I really that transparent?" I asked.  
  
"From the second you picked me up, you seemed a million miles away." She said, leaning back in her chair.  
  
"I thought if we were to go out on a date, I'd forget how." I wasn't sure what I was trying to say.  
  
"You'd forget that you're in love with Chloe?" Mimi finished for me.  
  
"No!" I said quickly. "I mean I just broke up with Veronica and everything."  
  
"Oh, Please.." Mimi interrupted. "You and Chloe are in love, and everyone has known it for years. If you would just face up to reality and let yourselves be together, the rest of us can get on with our lives."  
  
My heart was beating furiously, and I could hardly catch my breath. "Do you really think Chloe is in love with me?"  
  
She set down her glass. "Brady, I know she is. You should have seen her today. She was pretending like she couldn't care less that you had asked me out. But I could see actual tears glistening in her eyes."  
  
"Are you telling me the truth?" My mouth all of a sudden felt dry, and I reached for my glass of water.  
  
Mimi rubbed her temples like she was having a bad headache. "Think about Brady. You know I've had a crush on you. Do you really think that I would say that you and Chloe were meant to be together, if I didn't really mean it?" She signaled the waiter to bring the check.  
  
"I get your point," I said.  
  
"Good. Now let's go now. I'm sure you want to go home and think about Chloe."  
  
"Meems, please don't tell Chloe anything I've told you tonight." I held my breath, hoping she'll agree.  
  
"I promise I won't," she said.  
  
I let out my breath. "How can I ever thank you?" I asked.  
  
She gestured toward the bill." You could pay for my dinner."  
  
"Done," I said. Of course, I would have paid anyway.  
  
"And you could do me one more favor. "She said putting on her coat.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Never, ever ask me out on another date." She said, laughing.  
  
"You know what Mimi? You're all right."  
  
I was whistling as we left the restaurant. In fact, I sang all the way home.  
  
***  
  
The second I got home, I skipped up the stairs. In my mind, I was already dialing Chloe's phone number. We had a * lot * to talk about.  
  
But when I sat down on my bed, the phone in my hand, I suddenly felt deflated. Talking to Mimi, everything seemed simple. But now that I was alone, my feelings felt so complicated. Chloe and I had been best friends for a long time. Our relationship had been set up a certain way, and I'd never given serious thought to changing the dynamic.  
  
I put the phone back and walked over to the pictures on my desk. Almost half of the pictures on my desk featured Chloe. A big one in the center caught my eye.  
  
My mom had taken the picture during our freshman year. Chloe and I, along with other people, were working at a car wash trying to raise money for the hospital. When business had slowed down, I decided it was time to have a little fun.  
  
Suddenly I grabbed a hose and sprayed Chloe. She then dumped a soapy bucket of water on my head. After that, everyone else got involved, and it turned into a big water fight.  
  
When I put the hose down, Chloe had come over to me laughing and gave me a big bear hug, and I had lifted her of the ground with my hands firmly around her. My mom had had caught that moment on film.  
  
Standing in my room, remembering that day, made me laugh. As I was looking at her in the picture, it was like her whole essence leaped out and tugged at my heart.  
  
My gaze moved over all the other photographs on my desk. Some were of Shawn and me, some of my parents, but most of Chloe. All my favorites were of Chloe and me- at the beach, on horseback, building a snowman, and so much more.  
  
What if I told Chloe my feelings, and she didn't feel the same way? I'd be totally humiliated, not to mention minus one best friend. Our easy banter and shared confidences would be gone- forever.  
  
Or what if we started dating, and the relationship ended up like so many others? There was no real guarantee that our relationship could last. She could easily meet someone better, or she'll think that I was a terrible kisser, or that my jokes aren't as funny as she thought. My heart would just break, and I'd lose everything that mattered to me the most just like that.  
  
Sighing, I lay down on my bed. The silent phone seemed to be mocking me, and I had the sudden urge to throw it against the wall. Instead, I picked it up and dialed the first six digits of her phone number.  
  
But as I was about to press the last number, I stopped. For several minutes, I just sat staring at the wall. I couldn't do it, I realized. I couldn't risk what we already had. The stakes were too high.  
  
Without bothering to undress, I turned off the light and sank into my bed. "Chloe can never know how I feel," I vowed. "Never" 


	6. Ch 17 to 18

Ch. 17  
  
I woke up Sunday morning feeling sick. Downstairs I could hear my parents cheerfully talking. I groaned and stuffed my face in my pillow as the last twenty-four hours came rushing to me. Mimi and Brady. Brady and Mimi. Chloe and nobody. It must have been around five- thirty in the morning, I'd spent the whole night staring at the ceiling, when I realized why I felt so horrible. Now I said the words out loud, just to see if they were still true.  
  
"I'm in love with Brady," I whispered to myself. "And he's not in love with me." Saying that out loud was even harder than thinking it. I brushed my tears off of my face. It wasn't even ten yet and I was crying. What a wonderful life, I thought sarcastically. I rolled out of bed, forcing myself to repeat the truth over and over again.  
  
When I couldn't stand my thoughts anymore, I put on my oldest pair of jeans and pulled on a sweatshirt. It was still early, but there was no point in putting off the inevitable. I had to break all ties with Brady, and I had to do it today.  
  
I retrieved an old cardboard box from the hall closet, and I set it in the middle of my unmade bed. Slowly, I went around my room, going through all of the different mementos of my high-school years. Most of them reminded me of Brady in one way or another, and I felt fresh tears roll down my cheeks. I had to get rid of everything. Even the smallest souvenir reminded me of our friendship. And it would torture me to have it around.  
  
I carefully place the teddy bear that Brady won me at a carnival. I'd named it Mr. Bear, because I couldn't think of anything else. The stuffed animal was followed by a pair of silver dangly earrings that Brady bought me for my birthday last year.  
  
I went to my wall and took out all my framed pictures of us together. As I looked at his face smiling brightly in the pictures, my heart constricted painfully. I looked through my clothes drawers. I had almost a million of Brady's t-shirts that I never bothered to return.  
  
"He'll be glad to get these back." I whispered, as I brought one of the shirts to my face.  
  
After what seemed like a few minutes, the box was full. I took a glance around my room, and it now looked bare and impersonal. Most of my life has just been place into a cardboard box. There was nothing left.  
  
I picked up the box and headed out my bedroom door. "Goodbye Mr. Bear," I said to the stuffed animal. "It's been nice knowing you."  
  
*****  
  
Marlena didn't stop me when I pushed past her and headed for Brady's room. I was on a mission and no one was going to stop me. The way to his room seemed to go on forever, and the box in my arms seemed to get heavier and heavier.  
  
At the door of Brady's room, I dropped the box that landed with a big thump. Then I knocked loudly on the door, not caring if his parents thought I was crazy.  
  
"What?" Brady yelled from inside. His voice sounded so familiar, so ihim/i, that I almost backed down.  
  
But I shook my head, remembering that I had to be strong and do this. I'd known that confronting Brady would be hard, but there was no other option.  
  
"It's me." I called sharply, forcing my voice not to crack. I opened the door and shoved the box into his room with my foot. Then I walked into his room, reminding myself to breath.  
  
"What's up?" Brady asked, looking both sleepy and bewildered. His hair was rumpled and his covers were twisted around his torso. I didn't want to admit it, especially at a time like this, but he was still as sexy as ever. He could have been the poster boy for a mattress ad.  
  
"I brought all of your stuff," I responded flatly. I really had no idea how I was going to explain why we couldn't be friends anymore. "I, um, realized that I, um, had a lot of your t-shirts."  
  
He looked over at his clock by his bed. "Let me get this straight, you felt obliged to bring me my shirts at ten o'clock on a Sunday morning?"  
  
"I had to," I said as if I just explained everything. "I'm sure your really tired after your date with Mimi, so I'll let you get back to sleep." I tuned on my heel, ready to flee.  
  
"Wait!" Brady said, wide-awake now. "Will you please just tell me what's going on here? You're not making any sense."  
  
I stared at the ground, desperately putting together what I should say. There seemed to be some holes in my plan to make a clean break. "We can't be friends anymore," I said finally.  
  
Once I said it, I couldn't stop the flow of tears that poured down my cheeks. Brady was frowning, and he looked so lovable and trusting that I wanted to do nothing more than throw myself in his arms and beg him to fall in love with me. But then my gaze rested on his lips, and I pictured him kissing Mimi. The image sent a stabbing pain through my heart.  
  
"Why not?" Brady asked, his voice shaky.  
  
"Things between us aren't the same anymore," I said between sobs. "I can't really explain it better than that."  
  
He was silent, staring at me, with his mouth hanging open. I wished that the floor would have just opened up and swallows me up, but nothing happened.  
  
"You and Mimi would make a great couple," I said. "I wish you all the happiness"  
  
"Mimi and I? We're not even."  
  
"Don't say anything else!" I shouted. "I don't want to hear anything about it."  
  
"But Chloe, this is insane! Worse than insane!" He had gotten out of bed, and was now walking towards me.  
  
"I'm sorry Brady. I've failed as a friend. But please, don't say anything. Just leave me alone..forever."  
  
I backed out of the room and slammed the door. I stumbled down the stairs, and ran out the front door. I heard Brady shouting my name, but I tried to block out the sound of his voice.  
  
Once outside, I raced toward my car. Backing out of the driveway, I saw Brady standing at the front door. He was jumping up and down wildly waving his arms. Bravely, I looked away.  
  
I sped down the street, leaving my heart behind.  
  
***  
  
I rolled down my window and let the air was over me. I felt like I was suffocating, and I needed air. I was driving aimlessly, praying that I could get Brady out of my head.  
  
I turned on the radio. The low tones of the music filled the car, and I sank back in my seat.  
  
I pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater, I didn't know how I ended up there, I just did. I rested my head on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths.  
  
I had to get over this, I just had to. But how would I? I would never go to senior prom. Mimi and I wouldn't double date to winter ball like planned. I wouldn't get to do all the stuff with Brady that I loved to do. How did I end up in this mess?  
  
When I pulled myself together, I looked over at what movies were playing today. I needed to do something that didn't consist of sitting in my car and feeling sorry for myself.  
  
When I saw that Casablanca was playing at one o'clock, I got out of my car.  
  
Casablanca was the movie Brady and I used to watch together. Back then, our feelings had been platonic, uncomplicated. If only I could turn back the clock.  
  
When I bought the ticket the woman in the booth looked at me strangely. " The show doesn't start for another hour," she said. " You might want to come back later."  
  
I shook my head. An empty movie theater was a place to be alone.  
  
"It's ok, I'll wait." I answered, knowing I had tears in my voice.  
  
"No problem, Hon." She said kindly. "Go on in."  
  
Without any people, the theater felt eerie. But I sat down anyway. Worn out, I closed my eyes, blocking the empty row of seats out of my sight. Whether I had to wait an hour or a lifetime didn't matter. Life had lost it's meaning.  
  
  
  
Ch. 18  
  
I stood in the doorway until Chloe's car disappeared. My mom was standing behind me, looking shocked.  
  
"What was that about?" She asked.  
  
"It's a long story," I said, sighing.  
  
Without another word, I went back to my room and put the box that Chloe gave me on my bed. With a sinking heart, I began looking at the contents in the box. When I found Mr. Bear at the bottom of the box, I held him to my chest and hid beneath my covers.  
  
I didn't know what came over Chloe. Did Mimi tell her what I said last night? I shook my head. I know Mimi wouldn't tell.  
  
I went over everything that happened since the day we made that dumb bet. Although we'd been fighting a lot more than usual, I'd never thought that Chloe would want to stop being my best friend. To me, the idea of us not being friends was as foreign as not breathing. We were meant to be together, and now she was tearing us apart. Why?  
  
With all of my heart, I wanted to believe that she was jealous of me going on a date with Mimi. But it was Chloe's idea that I ask Mimi out in the first place. And it had been Chloe who was pining over Michael. Plus when I kissed her, it was her who had pulled away. As I remember her sobbing over Michael, I felt sick.  
  
Throughout the morning, I picked up the various items that Chloe dropped off. Every time I looked at the stuffed bear's fuzzy face, a fresh wave of pain washed over me. Chloe had asked me to leave her alone, and there was nothing I could do about it.  
  
Finally, I felt anger rush over me. Who exactly did Chloe think she was? Since when did she get to make all the decisions in our relationship? I picked up the phone, I was going to make her talk to me, even if I had to go to her house and barricade myself in her room.  
  
I hung up when her answering machine went on. Somehow the idea of leaving a desperate message, with her possibly in the room listening, was too much to bear. I couldn't force her to talk to me. She'd just get mad. All I could do was. exactly nothing.  
  
*****  
  
I had no idea how much time passed when my mom stuck her head in my door. It could have been seconds, hours, days.  
  
"Dad and I are going out," she said. "Are you going to be ok?"  
  
I shoved Mr. Bear under my cover and nodded. "I'll be fine, I think I'll just hang out here for awhile."  
  
She smiled, making me feel like I was five years old. "Okay. But don't stay in bed all day. It's not healthy." She shut my door, and I pulled Mr. Bear out.  
  
When I was sure my parents left, I rolled out of bed. I went to the bathroom and made a small attempt to brush my teeth and wash my face. But even the thought of brushing my hair seemed like too much effort.  
  
Still feeling as if I were a robot, I went to the kitchen and poured myself some coffee. Then I looked thought the paper, trying to get my mind off of Chloe.  
  
I turned to the sports section, but as soon as I finished reading the score, I realized that I couldn't remember what I just read. I really couldn't care less. God, what was happening to me?  
  
I turned to the art section. Maybe a movie could help distract me. My gaze fell over the ad for Casablanca. The film was showing at one o'clock. My thoughts then went straight to the last time I saw that film. I had called Chloe and we watched it over the phone together.  
  
I looked at the clock. The movie started in about fifteen minutes. I raced to the front door, put on my coat, and grabbed my keys and wallet. Then I unconsciously grabbed the phone to call Chloe, to ask her to come with me.  
  
But the second my hand touched the phone, I jerked it back. I forgot that the whole point of going to the movie was to distract myself from what had happened this morning. According to Chloe, I could never call her again.  
  
Driving to the movie theater, I realized that watching Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was not going to take my mind off of Chloe. If anything I'd cry when it got to the part where Sam played" As Time Goes By" for Ilsa.  
  
I bought a ticket anyway. Nothing was going to stop me from thinking of Chloe anyway. I figured, I might as well be depressed in the haven of a dark theater.  
  
"Are you meeting someone?" the lady at the ticket booth asked me.  
  
"Nope. Far from it." I answered.  
  
She shrugged. "There must be something in the air." She said, almost to herself.  
  
"There must be." I said, not really knowing what she was talking bout.  
  
Since I was already late, I went to buy some popcorn. I hadn't eaten anything all day and I felt like I was starving.  
  
Inside, the small theater was only half full. Humphrey Bogart was on the screen. At that moment I could relate to Bogart, who was playing Rick. The character had lost his one true love, and now he was forced to live a meaningless life. He was so cool and untouchable, because nothing mattered to him anymore. I decided I was going to be like him from now on, a detached macho man without emotions or desires.  
  
Lost in my thoughts, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the lighting. Then I moved forward slowly, looking for an empty area to sit. I wanted to be alone as possible during my mental breakdown.  
  
When I got a third of the way down my aisle, my heart started pumping in my chest. The back of a familiar dark head was just few rows in front of me. Almost dropping my popcorn, I stopped in my tracks.  
  
With one hand, I rubbed one eye, then the other. I was almost positive I was hallucinating. What were the chances that Chloe was sitting right before my very eyes, as If she knew I'd come and find her?  
  
I close my eyes for a second, and when I opened them she was still there. As I started walking again I couldn't help but feel like, unlike Rick's, my romance was about to have a very happy ending. 


	7. Final Chapter

Ch. 19 * Final Chapter *  
  
Ingrid Bergman hadn't even appeared on screen yet, and I was already trying to hold in my tears. Usually my eyes stayed dry until Rick found Sam playing "As Time Goes By" on the piano for Ilsa. Thinking about her strength, I became determined not to act like an idiot. Ilsa would have never cried her way through an entire movie.  
  
I wiped my eyes with my sweatshirt, sitting up straighter. Unbidden, My thoughts went to Brady. But instead of thinking about how are friendship ended, I focused on all the good times we had together.  
  
A montage of Brady and I floated through my mind, and I smiled. First there was the memory of our first snowball fight. Then I remembered when he dressed up like Santa clause one year. And I laughed at the memory of Brady somersaulting down a mountain at a school trip. He just stood up after his tumble and bowed to a bunch of surprised skiers.  
  
And then there was an image of us kissing. I could feel his warm lips on mine, his fingers in my hair. And when we danced together at homecoming, I felt like we were the only people on the planet. His arms held me close, and for a couple of long minutes, I'd forgotten that I was supposed to be in love with Michael.  
  
What a joke, I thought. I was never in love with Michael. I wasn't even sure if I liked Michael. I'd just mistaken the need for true love. Now the idea that I had shed a tear over him was laughable.  
  
I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice someone coming up beside me. No one else was sitting in my row, but I suddenly felt a person take a seat next to me. The hairs on my back stood up, and it felt like a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. Even before I turned I knew it was Brady.  
  
"Did someone order popcorn?" he whispered.  
  
I stared at him dumbly, my head spinning. It was almost as if I had thinking about him so intensely that he magically popped up. Now he was less than inches away, and even through the darkness, I could read the warmth in his eyes. I took in his uncombed hair, the shadow of his beard. He looks even worse than I do, I thought to myself, my pulse racing.  
  
I couldn't speak, but then my brain started working. No, I can't do this I thought. He doesn't love me like that. So I stood up and walked into the lobby of the movie theater.  
  
And of course he was right behind me. "Chloe, why'd you have to walk out like that?" he asked, with a little hurt in his voice. I couldn't stand it, I really wanted to try to get over him, even though my heart knew it was impossible.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I hissed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? It was bad enough that I knew he didn't want me.  
  
"Geez.. Chloe I'm sorry that I wanted to see a movie that you so coincidently were at. It's not like I was planning to see you here"  
  
"Why'd you have to sit next to me?" I asked quietly, I couldn't take it anymore. Why must he insist on torturing me like this?  
  
"Trust me Chlo, I wouldn't have if I thought you would act like this! Why are you acting like this? Why is it that all of a sudden you don't want to see me anymore? What happened? You know I thought friendship was a two-way street, you know you could've."  
  
"I love you Brady.." I said softly, not being able to stand it anymore. I wasn't even sure if he heard me. Afraid of what would happen next, I turned away to leave.  
  
"At least told me what's going on.. Wait! What did you just say? You can not say something like that and turn away." He said spinning me around.  
  
"Look, I said I love you Brady, not 'as friends' I love you, but I am IN love with you, truly and deeply, and I can't stand not being able to tell you. And I know you don't feel the same, so I had to end our friendship before it got too weird." I said, trying not to let him see my tears. Then, he did something totally unexpected.  
  
"Chloe Lane! Are you totally in Insane?" He yelled. I was not expecting that, maybe a laugh or something, but not that.  
  
"Excuse me?" I said glaring up at him.  
  
Then he roughly pulled me to him and fiercely kissed me on the lips. Now that was REALLY unexpected. At first I was so shocked I didn't know what was happening. But then, I started to respond, as our kiss softened, it was the best feeling in the world.  
  
We broke apart breathing heavily. He looked at me and smiled. "What I meant Chloe Lane was that were you really insane enough to think I wasn't totally and hopelessly in love with you too?"  
  
I smiled brightly and brought his lips to mine once again. As our kiss deepened, we heard applause behind us. It seems that the movie was over and the audience had just seen another amazing scene. A loud whistle came from the crowd and then we burst out laughing. We were lost in the absolute perfect ness of the moment.  
  
We walked out into the street, smiling and giggling like fools. Fools in love, I thought.  
  
Suddenly Brady stopped me and threw his arms around me. I hugged him back, squeezing him as tightly as I could.  
  
"Hey, Chlo?" he said.  
  
"What?" I brushed his hair away from his face.  
  
"Do you have a date for winter ball?" he asked. "You see, there's a certain bet I have to win."  
  
I pulled him closer, lightly kissing his cheek. I gave him a punch in the arm. "Don't you mean there's a certain bet that I need to win?" I said, looking into his eyes.  
  
Brady's eyes grew serious, and placed he hands on the either side of my head. "I think we both won," He murmured softly.  
  
Then he kissed me, and I'm not real clear on what happened next. All I remember is that the night ended with hot chocolate and a fireplace. You can probably guess the rest.. 


End file.
